The Memories Hidden Behind It
by EdenEight
Summary: An alternate beginning to the show, see how Jim and Gene meet and gain everything that leads to Starwind and Hawking Enterprises. In the Present the crew is in the wrong place at the right time-horrible plague sweeps over Sentinel. Big twist at the end.


Untitled 

The Memories Hidden Behind It 

by Divineangle, sugarbunny26@37.com 

Hey please give me some feed back to my story, I would luv to know what everyone is thinking so I know where to impove :) 

The shaking that surrounded him so fiercely made it hard for him to even hang on to the small rail on the wall. His back was being pushed harder and harder into the only chair in the circular pod as he felt his throat burn to the vacant sound of the scream, he couldn't hear. 

Suddenly, the force was easing; the pod was reaching into space, the deep depths of space. His body was becoming weightless now, his scream silencing blood in his throat. 

He opened his eyes, but he couldn't see, it was all a blur to him, one gigantic mess, a dream he would wake up from any second. But it wasn't ending. He felt his heart slamming inside him, perspiration trickling down his face as he pulled himself to the small porthole looking out. Darkness all around him, everywhere, not even a single star offered him the comfort of it's light, as he was alone, in the abyss. 

"Why?" the cry of the falling face let the tears run. I am all alone now, he thought looking out, everything he had known left him, and he felt as though he had been thrown against wall, his mind groggy. "I don't want to live anyway!" he sobbed gilding from the window, engrossed in the pain in his chest, all the visions, torturing him through the clenched eyes, the dark clenched eyes. 

"I am sorry Gene, but I want you to Live!" a hand was pulling him dragging him towards the pod against his will. Sirens were going off, I have to get to the controls! His mind screamed, maybe if they fired the engines in a vertical position........if he could get the ship to respond to the.......maybe the weapons were still in tact.........he felt the chair behind him as his body was thrown into it. "Good Luck my son." the dark eyes of his father were filled with love, no tears. 

"NOOOOOOO!" He cried out into the space, "I didn't want to go! I could have helped Dad!" but his sobs went unanswered, as he felt the rest of his life would be the same after this moment. With out his father he didn't know what else to do, he didn't have anyone else. "If I didn't beg him to teach me the new controls today, this never would have happened!" he screamed as his body wept from the inside out. "He would still be alive if it wasn't for me! If I didn't ask him, he never would have went out, he never would have put off the repairs the ship needed!" But his mind made him feel worse, and he fought back the vomit in his throat, choking on the memories. "I am alone" he muttered to himself, his body subsiding to exhaustion as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. And he knew too, understood far too well for a fourteen year old, far to well for a son who had just lost his father, and far too well for someone who was absolutely alone in every inch of space. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"I don't understand" the fifteen year old muttered to himself as he looked down at the pavement, his clothes were tattered and his soul was dirty. The sudden human contact against his shoulder made him look up glaring at the man he had just bumped into, as the man scowled. 

"Street Bum" the guy muttered to himself continuing to walk 

"Hey what did you say Pal!? Come on back here and say that to my face!" he yelled to the man's back spitting onto the curb. "That's what I thought' he grimaced. He was hardened now, much harder then he had been a year ago, when he had fallen to Heigfong. He had learned to live on the streets, learned to eat out of garbage cans and sleep in cardboard boxes, thankful when some rich shit threw out his lunch because it was too warm, or someone dropped some change and didn't bother to pick it up. He was a whole new person here in the anguish of the streets......"That's right, I thought so." he muttered again, still shuffling past people, as he hurried to no place in particular. "I am a whole new Gene Starwind." he smiled roughly, but inside he felt his heart tense even at the sound of himself saying his name, no one had called him by his name since his father had died. Any small acquaintances, which as he thought to himself hadn't been any since he had fallen, were all rivals. All scavenging for the same food he was, and the only reason he was still alive is because he found ways to beat them at their own game, the game they all played against each other. He didn't have any friends or enemies, neighbors or anything or anyone else that would say his name to him, now, saying it was almost as painful as the memories that were hidden behind it. 

The curb was damp, it had rained earlier, and he new that tonight would be cold; they always were when it rained. Suddenly his stomach tightened to the sweet aroma of food. He stopped looking at a small Italian restaurant, inside were people eating all the things from his childhood, spaghetti, fish, bread......all the things that made him sick and bitter now. He quickly hurried into the back ally, crouching into his shirtsleeve shirt and jamming his hands into the pockets of his oversized jeans. 

It looks so good; just take it fast so no ones sees you, his head whispered to him. Just grab it fast and run, run to the bridge, they won't see you under the bridge, just grab it, grab it. "Grab it" he whispered to himself as if hypnotized, and he did, he wanted to grab it. He slowly looked around and started to reach for the bread on the windowsill of the opened back window, when a door opened from behind him blocking his only exit. 

"Frankie! I say to her I say Manga you gotta look like eh....." the large man's voice dropped off as he caught sight of the tattered red head in the alley next to the bread, the garbage bag he was dragging quickly dropped completely from his hands as he narrowed his eyes, the boy's darting back and forth around the alley before landing on the man, a firm expression on his face. 

"Hey ya Kid! You weren't gonna do anything a stupid like take some of my bread eh?" the man glared at him, the boy simply starring back. "What's a matter with you, you speak? I am a asking you a question here!?" the man seemed to turn the color of the sauce as he became impatient. "What's the matter with you!?" he shouted again taking a step forward and raising his hand as if to smack the boy. 

The dark eyes closed quickly awaiting the impact, he could feel his heart beating, holding his breath he stood his ground. The red hair fell into his eyes as they slowly opened to the laughing man in front of him. 

"Hey a Frankie! Come and take a look what I found back in the alley!" the man laughed slapping him hard on the back 

"Yeah yeah, I am a coming" a voice from the kitchen spit as a tall thin man entered the alley, a plate in his hand looking very un-entertained 

"You know what I got here!?" the large man asked slinging his arm on to the shoulder of the nervous red head. 

"No Lou, what's does you got there?" the man asked sighing 

"I got a new kitchen boy, he just come round back to a, apply for da job!" the man said laughing signing the air with an invisible pen as he demonstrated the job application. 

"Ahh" Frankie sighed rolling his eyes and heading back into the kitchen. The large man waved his hand at him, dismissing his uninterested. 

"What a is your name boy?" he spoke again looking at the red head who seemed very confused as he stood edgy, ready to run at the slightest inclination of danger. "What's a matter with you, I asked you name capeish? The man said loudly but gently. 

"Ahh, my name? It's Gene." he finally spoke a little shaken 

"Well eh, we gonna go call you Johnny? How's about that?" he said slinging his arm back over the small boy and leading him into the kitchen. 

The red head simply nodded, happy that he wouldn't have to listen to his own name again, who knows he thought, maybe I will just stay Johnny. 

"Well!" the man proclaimed as they entered stretching his arms out as if beginning a tour. "The first job of a kitchen boy, now listen up Johnny, is to eat! All Italian's know you can't a be working on an empty stomach Mama Me-ya!" he cried throwing his head back with more laughter causing the red head to jump in surprise. 

Eat? He thought they are gonna feed me?, this is gotta be a trap, but the dish the man sat down before him ordering him with what sounded only like gibberish to the boy looked to too good for him to leave behind and he quickly began eating. 

"What I told you eh Frankie!?" the man said turning around to Frankie who was still washing dishes. 

"Ehh what can say" he sighed mumbling in Italian as he continuing to wash dishes, the man laughing even harder as he watched the boy eat as though it was his last meal. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Hey Johnny! We are closing up eh? You gotta put up all the chairs!" Lou bellowed from the alley where he was taking out the trash. 

"Yeah!" the red head yelled as he sat down more dirty dishes, it was the third week he had been working at Manga's but he was happy as hell to have a job that at least paid him enough to eat. Entering back into the dinning area he caught an old women walking up to the door. He quickly looked down, not wanting to have to talk to her, but the bagging of her fist was something that he just couldn't ignore. "We are closed!" he shouted as she smiled and continued to bang. "Hey lady." he said walking to the glass door and unlocking it "I told you that we're closed, no more after ten ok?" he said slowly shutting the door before her firm hand caught it, pushing it back in. 

"And what might your name be son?" she asked, the heavy tone of her African American heritage lingering after her words. 

"Ahh my name?" he stammered 

"What the hell is a lil runt like you working for Lou!" she laughed as he stepped back to her shoving, she walked past him laughing all the way. "Well come on!" she yelled back at him "You ain't gonna make an ol' woman like myself do all the heavy labors round here is ya?" she asked laughing 

"Ahh no....." he quickly added locking the door before running after her into the back kitchen. She's going to get me fired, who the hell.......his thoughts stopped as he watched the old women and his employer deep in conversation, or at least that's what he was going to call it, they both seemed to be just laughing......must have missed it, he thought. 

"Ahh Johnny!" The large cook announced noticing his presents "Go help her out in the alley! I'll put up the chairs, go go" he motioned with his hands 

The red hair fell into his dark eyes as he nodded following the short, fat women into the alley, watching the tassels on her dark black shall swing to her walk. 

"Alls you gotta do is lift that crate there into my car, you got that all right hunny?" he nodded ignoring her eyes as she studied him silent, he lifted the crate and placed it in her trunk, turning back to her for more orders. 

"My god your skinny." she said frowning "Looks like somebody done run you over with a truck!" she said again, continuing her observation 

He felt his cheeks get warm as her eyes studied him, just ask her if that's all she wants then you can go he thought. "Umm, is that, is.." 

"What is your mama feedin you?" she asked stepping up to him as he leaned back. 

"My mother?" he asked looking her in the eyes as she pushed into his face. Her round face was filled with the creases of time, but it was surprisingly soft, as her black eyes squinted into his youthful skin. 

"Yes you heard me right, now speak ups so I's can hear you." 

"Well I....I don't really have a mother." he finally said, spitting the words out to get her to back away from him, anything to get those eyes off him, he felt as though she could see everything inside him and he was afraid of her. 

"You poor lamb" she sighed silent for a few seconds "I spose that's why he called me……..Well!" she announced "Get in the truck, it takes us bout ten minutes ta gets home." she said turning from him and shutting the truck. 

Get in the truck?, his mind raced, but he just watched her, confused. 

"You hears what I said? Get in the truck!" she ordered softly laughing causing him to jump and then scurry in and shut the door. "Heheha" she laughed heartily turning around from the front seat to look at him, now sitting in the back "Don't worry" she smiled "I don't bite." with that she turned back around and started the car. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

I don't know where I am, he thought to himself, he sighed loudly. How stupid do I have to be to fall asleep in someone else's car! He yelled at himself lifting his hands. The water ran off his fingers, down his arms and back into the tub. He looked back up from them at the room. It was a nice bathroom, not that big but still nice, on the windowsill sat some colored soaps made to look like sea shells and next to the sink was a tissue box that had some kind of doll standing over it, her big blue dress spreading out to hide the ugly cardboard, even thought she wasn't much better looking he thought. 

"Johnny!?" the knocking rang from outside of the bathroom door "You want me to get you some clothes boy? I done gone and put your others in the wash, they done stink like trash!" she announced matter or factly, as he frowned, great. 

"Ahh, well I am going to have to wear something!" he yelled irritated at the closed door 

"What's that you said?" she said her voice getting closer to the wood 

"Yes!" he shouted now sitting up in the tub, the warm water running off his back, a slight pink color entering the water, blood from his last scraps on the streets. 

"All right!" she said as he listened to her shuffle down the hall and open a squeaky door. It seemed to him that since he had arrived everything was squeaky, the doors, the floors and even the old woman. He questioned whether it was the floor or not, but he was sure that the ol' women was squeaking along with the old house. 

He reached his arm out of the tub and grabbed a towel, rapping it around himself waiting for her to come back. 

"You done got a towel in there Johnny?" she yelled from behind the door again. 

"Yes!" he called back loudly so she could hear all right, with that she came shuffling into the room handing him some clothes 

"My word" she sighed looking at him frowning, her hand reached out grabbing his chin as she turned his head to the side, lingering at a scrap he had gotten falling out of a trashcan. He shook her off frowning and stepped back, she was silent again before speaking "You even smaller wit out ya clothes, I betta go and cook you some eggs, before I can't see you no more, that's what I'm gonna do." she said talking over her shoulder as she walked out of the bathroom and left him standing there. 

His baggy black jeans hung to the floor as he walked down the stairs in a light red shirt, towards the kitchen that wasn't hard to find. One because he could smell the eggs and two because the house was small, he had noticed it when he first came in. A living room with an old couch and chair, television and freakish looking plant, upstairs two bedrooms and the small bathroom he was in. 

The tiles of the kitchen were cold beneath his feet and the cabinets were an odd brown, as if the sun had bleached some of the color, however the yellow tiles seemed to match the women in an odd way. 

"Sit down, I gonna put some meat on ya!" she ordered still cooking; he listened and sat down quietly. 

"My name isn't Johnny." he said, she sprinkled something into the frying pan and then turned around 

"Now don't tell me I done and bring the wrong one home" she said squinting at him 

"It's Gene." again he waited for her reaction but she simply walked over and sat a plate of eggs in front of him before sitting in the other chair. 

"You can call me Alice, that's what my friends do" she said smiling "I take it Gene is what your friends call you...........you didn't look much like a Johnny anyway." with that she stood back up humming softly as she resumed her cooking. 

He smiled at her, genuinely happy to have met her, and for the first time since he could remember someone who looked like they really cared was feeding him. Maybe she won't be so bad after all he thought shoving an egg into his mouth. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Gene!?" she called out the kitchen window the red hair shoving a bag of garbage into the can, the egg rolled up in two pieces of toast between his mouth. 

"Yeah!" he called as he pushed it down 

"I done bout give up on you fixing this here sink!" she stated, he rolled his eyes before standing up and looking at her through the same window. 

He was much taller now, at sixteen the red hair seemed as stubborn as ever and the boy now had a strong build, tight muscles covering his body, which stood at an impressive 5'6. 

"Alice" he whined, she only looked at him. "All right, I will fix it when I get home frum smirk to might." he finished shoving more of his egg like sandwich into his mouth. 

"EmmHmm" she said turning from the window, as more smells drifted out. 

"Tonight!" he called over his shoulder as he started down the sidewalk, his hands in his black baggy jeans as he wore a tight white muscle shirt. Manga's was opening early this mourning. Yeah but at 4 am, Lou has really lost it this time, all we have to do is start up the grills, clean up, man I am wasted. 

He kicked a can with his foot, watching it role before he made his way back up to it kicking it again, until it finally rolled into a dip in the road and the red hair ignored it, too lazy to go after it, it was just a can. He glanced down at his watch, "ahh the sun isn't even up yet, why the hell do I have to..." he stopped suddenly at the sound of the slam. 

The red hair hung over the dark eyes that stood just waiting for more noise, as he stared at the alley, slowing creeping to it's edge to the sounds of their voices. 

"She was easy, just three. Didn't even get out of the house." 

"Too bad" 

"Yeah, we got him too, he must have known we were coming because he was packing, but we got there first." The sound of a cigarette being put out against the concrete echoed slightly against the construction equipment that surrounded the two men along the unfinished building. "Should have just stayed out of our business." 

"Is it true?" 

"What?" 

"What they say, about it being able kill so many people? You think they are bluffing." 

"If they are they sure are spending a lot of money on it, a bluff that is, and he has never been wrong before." There was a silent pause, as one shifted his weight exhaling. 

"I still say it's too bad" 

"Yeah well......" the click of a lighter could be hurt as another cigarette was lit "Who fucken cares, the boy doesn't know jack shit, just think of it as a bonus." 

"Right." 

The red hair jumped at the sound of a car on the road behind him, quickly ducking into the shadows. The dark eyes watching as the car pulled around and then into the alley. 

"You do the deal, I am gonna wait down the block." 

"You know what will happen if you split" the man said threatening to the sound of the car's engine turning off and the door opening. 

"It's good to see you again, your looking well." the new voice snickered 

"Yeah, I make it by." the dark voice answered there was a pause and another car door was opened 

"1 million Wong" the voice demanded 

"My my aren't we pricey" the voice snickered again 

"Hey! I said 1 million Wong, you don't get to test drive him." another silence, as the dark eyes peered into the alleyway he could just make out three figures, the two larger ones where facing each other and the smaller one stood by the side of the one to the right. 

"Does he have a name?" 

"How the fuck should I know." the voice to the right answered discussed "Hey! What's your name?" he pulled the child by his arm, but only blue eyes looked at him. "Did you hear me!? What's your fucken name!" the child let out a sound of hate this time, echoing down the alley to the dark eyes as the red hair fell across his face, his pulse increase. 

Anger flowing into him as he watched the mess of blond hair that stood out against the black, just like.......just like me, he thought to himself. He felt his eyes glisten as he remembered his father again in front of him, the dark eyes staring into him, the pod he lived in for what seemed like forever until it finally smashed into Heifong. "I lost everything because of the pirates" he scowled breathing hard, his once forming tears becoming an overwhelming hate. "I lost my....." his voice trailed, his innocence, his childhood, his father, he had lost his life in one second of smoke and siren. Now watching the small figure at the end of the alley he couldn't stand to see that happen again, I have to do something he thought looking around. I am not going to let this one end up like me, I don't' care who they are. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Hey, am I intruding?" the red head smiled slyly 

"What the fuck?" the dark voice sighed 

"Is this some kind of joke?" the other man spit 

"Huh" the voice just chuckled back at him "It will be 1 and 1/2 million if you want them both." he said turning his dark eyes back to the red hair. 

"Sorry if I have mislead you." the teen's voice boomed in the small alley as he made his presence known "But neither of us are for sale." he smiled again 

The blue eyes suddenly looked up, finally facing the new alley occupant as something worth its time. The dark eyes met the smaller lighter ones taken back at how them seemed to look right at him. 

No one deserves this; he thought to himself, I am not going to let him get taken from his family, not now while he is so young.......dad.......this is for you. I don't want to see any more Gene Starwinds walking around Heigfong while I am still around, one is enough. 

The dark eyes glanced up quickly before returning to the blue ones, they hesitated for a second and then slowly glanced upward mimicking him, the bright golden hair falling back from the boys face. 

There are metal beams up there, he thought to himself, the construction equipment for this location, not fully compete, he has a gun. The blue eyes shot to the gun that was now slightly visible around the red head from his angle. He is going to shoot it, the blue eyes cast up again.......it's going to fall right on us. 

Hope this works, his mind thought to the blasting of his gun echoing into his ears and all through the alley. "Wow.....they sure come down fast" The dark eyes watched in amazement as the beams from above snapped from their ties moaning in protest but almost happy to be coming down as they broke and plummeted into the alley scraping brick and stone off of the completed portions as they came. 

"Fuck!" he heard a cry calling his eyes back down 

I hope that kid got the message he choked. Standing up in the settling debree he eyes squinted trying to see who was left as he slowly lowered his hand from his face. 

"Shring!" a bullet took out some brick from the behind wall, the dark eyes spun around catching it collide, spurring dust of its own. 

"Hey Kid!" again the dark eyes spun only to be met with a fist knocking him back. His skin ripping as it hit the scared jagged brick wall. He quickly threw back his own strike, as quickly as he could impacting with the chest, and then the chin of the man before he felt it strong and hard, his rib cage collapsing inward. He doubled over in pain the burning sensation in his face growing as the blow connected with his jaw. 

There was warm blood in his mouth as the dark eyes snapped up to the figure towering over him. 

"I guess we just don't have the same image anymore" the man smirked now cocking his gun and aiming it at the red hair "Everyone just wants to know our business." His smile grew to the wide dark eyes staring up at him from the ground, the only sounds were that of the boy's heavy wet breathing "Its a waste to go so soon, you had a lot of spunk kid." the dark eyes jammed shut turning to the side as the mans hand closed in on the trigger. 

So this is it, I am over already. 

The blast of the single gun echoed down the alley as he felt his chest rising and falling faster then he could ever remember. Blood now trickling from his lips as the dark eyes slowly opened to the echoing sound. 

They were still there, the blackened eyes of the figure now pained and twisted as it fell to its knees before shrinking into the cement, red crimson pouring from it's chest right where his heart would have been. 

The red head pulled his legs inward gagging slightly, it was the first time he had seen death. He, he is dead, he thought over and over, but he couldn't believe it, he had never seen anyone die right in front of him like that, and he felt as though he had stopped breathing for a second, just watching the blood trickling onto the cement. The man who had just tried to take his life was now leaking away, inches from him. 

He looked up, there standing in the rubble was a very quite blonde, the blue eyes watching the crimson spill into the grey cold. 

He felt his mouth stammering, watching as his own gun slip from the child's grasp, that sound of the metal and cement echoing down the alley. "Hey kid you just shot that man." he said firmly but quite shaken from his slumped position against the brick wall. The blue eyes just rose to look at him again, that kid just shot him! His mind screamed. He died right in front of you! "Look we have got to get the hell out of here." he said now rising to his feet...…-no response-....."ehhh blast it" a small moan of pain arouse as the red head now stood towering above the eight year old "Hey did you hear a word I just said?!" he nearly shouted "You shot the guy!....... thanks a lot but you better run, we are even now." he watched as the child didn't make a move, just stood staring at him silent. 

Why doesn't he leave, doesn't he realize he has just killed somebody? We have got to get out of here, who knows who these guys were, what kind of work they were into, probably not the good kind. Blast it, I bet I just smashed a whole lot of construction mula. It would take my whole life to pay for it all on what I earn. 

A car roared out of the back of the rubble, speeding off, snapping the red hair back to life, the kid just staring at him the whole time, not making a move. 

"Fine" he mumbled walking past the figure that just reached his waste in height as it turned watching him. He walked briskly anxious to get away from the mess behind him in the alley. Just keep walking Gene, I don't have any business messing with that kid, who knows who he is or what he is addicted to. Even if he is clean I don't have anywhere to put him, its not like I can just drag him........ahhhh 

"Fine!" the shout echoed down the alley startling the blond hair that had sat down against the wall legs drawn into its chest. Even from the ten or so feet away, he could still make out the blue eyes under the golden hair, pissing him off even more for making him turn back around. "Lets go then, your coming with me!" the red head shut his eyes for a second waiting, but when he opened them again the kid was still sitting there looking at him. "Ahhh, fine, don't come with me, whether you do or don't I could really careless, but if you don't come with me you are going with the cops..........and I am not paying for this!" he bellowed waving his arms around to the alley. "Don't you get it! I am not being held responsible! I walked into an alley my mistake, who knew there would be some black market trade going on.… Thought that is really just my luck." he spit now thinking almost outloud 

The dark eyes watched the kid slowly get up and make his way towards him now in the entrance of the alley, about five feet from him the kid burst into a run and nearly knocked him over on impact. "Yeah, get off." the red head growled prying the arms from around his leg, but to no real avail the kid seemed determined to stay there. "This is not what I need right now" the red head sighed looking up to no one. "Lets go" he said looking back down and grabbing a small wrist in each hand to pry him off and pull him along with him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The streets of Heigfong were crowded like always, people everywhere pushing to get where they were going, even on days where they had no where to go and just fell into old habits. 

The dark eyes glanced down again quickly before shooting back up to the crowd, making his own way through it. His left hand consuming that of the boy he had just found pulling him along behind as to not loose him in the crowd. 

Why didn't he want any of the money? The small mind questioned He sure didn't want to pay for the mess, and he isn't dressed well. Maybe he wants to sell me too, that is where he is taking me, but, then why did he shoot them. He wanted to stop them........the blue eyes frowned in disbelief, maybe he doesn't know anything, he doesn't look that smart. 

"Alice!" the red head called opening the screen and then the wooden door of the front porch with one hand before practically shoving the kid in and slamming them both. Leaving the boy standing in the hall, as he walked into the house. 

He definitely doesn't have a lot of money if he lives here. Wonder what his mom looks like. 

"Gene! What you doing back so soon boy? I done thought Lou.........what in heavens name!" The blond hair fell into the blue eyes as the boy leaned to the side, glimpsing into the kitchen not moving from his original spot. 

"Aww Alice!" he heard the boy whine irritated "Don't' touch it!" 

"Damn straight I am going to touch it, now get your shirt off." the women ordered, though he could hardly see her. 

A short plump dark woman wearing a light floral patterned dress came woddling into the hall and stopped dead in her tracks. 

"My word......what in heavens name done happen, one second I was making eggs and the next...."her voice trailed off, her face holding such sorrow 

Is she talking to me?...what is she talking about? The mind rang again. Why is she looking at me like that? The blond started to stumble back as soft brown hands slid over his cheeks, gently tugging his shirt before taking his hand, the eyes now cast to the floor. 

"Gene?!" she said now turning around as the red head stumbled out of the kitchen struggling to tie a bandage around his upper arm using his teeth. There was a silent pause until the dark eyes looked up at them both, the bandage sliding from his mouth. 

"Yeah, that" he said inhaling quickly "well uh, that is a long story Alice.....you see I kinda walked into.... 

"Ohh I don't none care where you found him, where he at?!" she spit at the stammering teen 

"Beats the hell out of me, you ask him, maybe he will like you better." with that the boy turned back around and walked into the kitchen 

"Now that is a dame way to treat a guest. You hear me Gene! Emmhhm" she grunted leaning back down to the boy sensing his uneasiness as she looked at him. "Seems to me you might like my black berry pie, you done skinny as rat, and don't look no better niter boy." she said matter or factly, the blue eyes searching the floor as the small mind tried to find a course of action, but there as none. He jumped as she grabbed his hand letting out a loud "Come on" and started pulling him into the kitchen. 

"Sit down there, your goin' eat some pie!" she ordered shoving him at a chair gently, the red head now casting his dark eyes from the cuts he was tending to watch the boy as he slowly got into his seat. "Now!" she announced sliding the pie out of the oven "Are you going to be telling Alice your name, or are you another Johnny?" she turned, pot holder in hand looking at the blond hair for a second with an expressionless face, he didn't answer and the silence made her frown. 

"Boy after you eat this here pie, you takin a bath, you done look like a building done fall on you." the blue eyes simply watched her as she turned around cutting slices for them all "done every critter in this town look like e been run over by a truck!" she exclaimed to herself, the red head grinned letting out a small chuckle before looking down at the boy again. 

Alice put the pie in front of them both encouraging them to eat while she began cleaning up. The blue eyes just looked at the spoon and the pie in front of him. His stomach tightening to the yearning desire to eat it, but it wasn't till the bandages were again dropped from the other end of the small table that the boy picked the spoon up and began devouring his pie to the sounds of the red head eating his. 

"Woow there, remember to breath." the red head teased smiling as he watched the boy eating the pie, the blue eyes just shot up at him, frozen. "No go ahead, eat it, here have mine too, I already had some this mourning." the smile pushed a plate over to him and the blue eyes starred at him for a second before eating again. 

"You don't like my pie Gene!" the women shrieked now bending into the refrigerator 

"Aww of course I love your pie Alice," he grinned at her assumingly, because he really did. 

She just let out another "EmmHmm" before calling after him "I ain't want no filth in my house! She called after the boy as he sighed heading for the stairs "Put ya clothes in the hamper and don't you be given me no lip! I am making your favorite for dinner!" she laughed chuckling to herself before turning back to the small figure that had just devoured her pie. "Well, at least you likes my pie" she said matter o' factly before sitting next to him. 

She could tell she was making the boy uneasy as she stared at him, trying to decipher his past from the look on his face, the clothes he was wearing and any other signs that she could read. But none of them fit, it was like he had been pulled from somewhere else and thrown into this life style, it confused her so, and she wanted to ask him a million and one questions, but she knew he wouldn't answer, they never did. Instead she just started talking to him real soft, I don't want nobody upset in my house, she thought triumphantly. 

"You done don't have to tell me nothing." she cooed at him "I don't wants to knows yous past, or what's you got there inside your head. You can keeps all yous money and stays here longs you need to." she declared nodding "I ain't never turned nobody out before and I damn sure ain't goin'' to start with a sweet thin rat like you." she smiled at him, and for a second thought she saw a smile on his face as well. He isn't that hard to handle, I will just have to open him up a little. "You got any questions you just ask ol' Alice here, and you got even mores questions!" she declared striking the table softly "Then you goes ask Gene, he got here just the way you did" she nodded at him as she saw the surprise in his wide eyes. "Sure thing, is the grace a god bringing me such bundles....good thing too......cause ol' Alice only good for a few things and baking is one of them, I just gots to have someone to feed it to." she whispered causing him to smile warmly up at her. "There now you see, just a bit a pie makes everybody feel right as rain, now you comes up stairs with me and we'll get you cleaned up, all this soot off you. I ain't having no filth in my house." she declared before adding, "I don't know what you boys up to, but you both looks like something's done and died on you." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The blond watched the water trickle down his arm and off his elbow as he now sat in the small bathroom occupied by only himself and the girl in the blue dress who hid the tissues. 

"You good and clean in there hunny?" he heard her outside up against the door, the blue eyes silent but observant. "I done got you some clothes to put on? You wants I should leave them here in the hall?" the lingering silence caused only the shuffling of her feet as a loud Gene! was heard down the hall stairs. 

"What now" the red hair mumbled from underneath the kitchen sink. All that was visible was his waist straining to support his upper half in the cramped damp cabinets. 

"Gene, we have got to talk about your new friend." the old frowning face shook slightly from behind him, hands on her hips 

"I know I know, I didn't mean to just bring him here, but he wouldn't go away." the red hair pulled into the light, covered with grease and dirt. "I am really sorry Alice, I didn't mean to.........I just didn't have anything else I could do with him. 

The brown soft face just frowned listening as the teen stumbled over words trying to find the ones he thought would best make up for the mess. 

"Gene" he was interrupted "Now I knows I said this before, but you a done fool. This boy ain't no trouble to know one, if alls I wish he was more trouble." she said lowering herself into a kitchen chair. "Done not right for a child to not wanna run and play, you doing to much a that now!" she rose her hand to him as an example, thinking out loud, looking at the floor. 

"I really am sorry Alice. But I think that maybe I should take him out of here, someone might be looking for him." Her eyes grew wide in astonishment as she looked up from the floor now caught by his words. He hesitated before continuing "It might be dangerous, and I wouldn't want you to loose your house or.......or....you understand what I am saying Alice!" he threw his rage on to the table "You know I am right." 

"Yous' got no right leaving" she scuffed at him 

"What?" 

"You heard me! I an ol women now, I got no children my own. You gots' no wheres' to be! I've lived many years, I seen em bad, you ain't the only one been a Johnny. Now I ain't got much to do anymores', I am too weak." her voice softened "I don't mind done given up a few more years if its gonna' help some nice lost souls." she smiled at him "Especially if they's lost so young............now you get your butt up those stairs before I have to look at ya dirty face any longer! I ain't having no filth in my house Gene!" she called after him as he walked to the stairs, a small smile under the dark closed eyes 

"Hey kid?" there was a pause as the shadow from underneath the door shifted its weight "If I don't get some of this grease of me soon, your gonna' be eating alone tonight" he laughed slightly "how about letting me in?" He listened as he heard the occupant walk to the door, and the click of the handle as it opened letting out light from the inner window. 

"My name is Jim Hawking." the dark eyes blinked "And my parents are dead." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"I will right after I eat." 

"That's what you said this mourning." Alice hummed at him doubtfully as the three now sat eating dinner. 

"Bell I forlot! I was in a hurry this morning." the red head spit food building in his cheeks as he ate. 

"You shouldn't talk with your mouthful." the blue eyes grinned at him from across the table amused. He squinted at the kid before continuing, swallowing hard. 

"Just let me finish eating Alice, I will take all the garbage you want anywhere you want, I have to go to work in thirty minutes anyway." his fork now stabbing more food and cramming it into his mouth. 

"You are working tonight?" The cookie sheet could be heard sliding into the oven as she turned around to look at them. 

"Yeah, I was signed till 10:30, but if we are gonna' have another room mate I got to ask Lou for a better paying job." 

"You know Lou doesn't have that kindas' money." she frowned shuffling back over to the table and sitting down. Waiting for an answer as the red hair chugged his glass of milk. 

"Yeah!" he sighed slamming the cup down "I know, but I still have to ask. We can't afford another mouth." he spoke looking directly at the blue eyes whose shoulders barely made the top of the table. 

"I don't eat a lot." they spoke back defensively, worried. 

"Sure..." he trailed off thoughtfully looking at the napkin piece he sat turning in his fingertips "I could eat less to Alice, you don't have to wor....." 

"Well I will hear none of this! You both growin' boys and yas gots' ta eat. So you get out there and do what's ya gotta' do, and we find someway occupying ourselves when you ain't here." she said firmly, polishing away all doubt with her frowning. 

He smiled at her wiping away the milk mustache with the side of his hand. "Later" he said as he walked by the boy ruffling his blond hair before strolling out the door whistling, the blue eyes turning in their seat to watch the light screen door bounce as it shut. 

Alice shuffled back over to the kitchen sink humming to herself as the blond slowly slipped a small vile back into the pocket of his pants, the light pink liquid only traceable by a small drop left on the outer edge suspended where the rest had fallen onto the plate of the red head, mixing in with his food. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"What's a matter whit you Johnny?! You a don't a like Lou anymore! his employer bellowed hurt. 

"Come on Lou, we got a houseguest who is kinda' moving in and we have to make more if we wanna' keep on eating.........you don't have anything for me?" the dark eyes peered intensely at the plump man in a white apron as he looked around the kitchen thoughtfully. 

"Ahh Lou, don't worry, we'll find another kitchen boy." Frankie cheered in scrubbing dishes 

"Another kitchen.....another kitchen boy, what's the matter with you Frankie!" he bellowed 

"I don't like the kid, he stinks." Frankie turned around smiling at his favorite red head, suds on his arms "And he never could sweep up right, mama me-ya, all the times we had to use a the mop, madon." 

"Maybe, I can a hook you up." the employer leaned in whispering "He's a big a man, friend a me fathers, we going far back" he spoke extending his hand demonstrating the length." Ehh" he said cocking his head while shrugging his shoulders "Maybe he can ahhh, hook up a job. You walk in there, dress nice, you get hired, capesh?" 

"Thanks Lou, I owe you one." 

"Ahh you owe me too many, I know you are the one eating my meat-a-balls ehh?" he smiled, knowing he had left the meatballs out purposely for the red head. The dark eyes grinned the two men hugging briefly, patting each other on the back before the dark eyes turned, entering the alley that had started the beginning of his new life over a year ago, and left. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Starwind is it? Pronounced as it looks?" 

"Yes that's right, I am Gene Starwind." his voice was strong and firm as he extended his hand, sure of who he was and where he wanted to go in life, down the same path as this guy he thought. He was loaded, the elegant furniture, the high priced clothing, the bodyguards, this guy was something else. 

"Well seeing as you have a recommendation that I will esteem very highly I guess we can give you a try. You are expected to be one time everyday you are assigned, unless told otherwise in advance. You will be granted three sick days a year, and a week off every five months for holidays, they are my favorite." He smiled quickly looking back down at the form "Any work you do not complete on your shift and are assigned must be completed, even if that is on your own time, is that understood?" 

"Yes sir" 

"Good, lunch is at noon, a half an hour." the man pauses studding the red head in front of him again slightly in doubt, but upon looking back down at the form he smiled again. "Show him to the docks." he addressed to a quiet man in the corner the red hair standing up and following. This is it, he thought. Finally, I am moving towards the money.....let's go. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Hey I am back!" the red head yelled entering the front door of the pastry smelling house. "MMmmm something smells good." 

"Well then it's a shame you done not get here sooner, Jim just ate the last my cookies." the ol woman's high laughter rang out as the red head's jaw fell open wide eyed at the grinning blond feet from him. 

"You didn't?" he said slyly "You don't have the gall?" the sarcasm heavy in his voice 

"Sure did!" the boy yelled running for the stairs 

"Not this time Snot!" the red hair tore after him laughter in his voice as the blonde raced up the stairs and bolted into a room slamming the door just as the teen caught it. 

"I got you now Jim!" he said pushing the door open, the blue eyes tearing with laughter as they slid back, standing only in socks. 

"Wait! I got.." he choked 

"How dare you eat all my cookies!" he shouted slinging the child over his shoulder as he walked out of the doorway imitating a lumberjack. "Now your gonna' get your come upins" he growled at the boy tossing him back down on the ground feeling himself being kicked in the side by the struggling laughter underneath. 

"Don't you be makin' no mess up there you hear!? The soft face frowning at the bottom of the stairs peered up "And you stay away from my quilt too you rascals!" she laughed heartily watching as the small hands became visible from the top of the stairs grabbing the banister to withstand being pulled back by the wrestling teen. 

"Say it!" the outlaw taunted pulling harder on the eight year old now rising off the floor "Say it or I am going to drop you Jim!" 

"Wait Wait!" the boy choked with laughter as he felt the grip on his ankles loosening, his body lowering to the floor. 

The red head dropped him lightly breathing heavily from the chase and the tackle. As the blond turned back around to him grinning, in his hand were two cookies, now almost crumbs. 

"Wha" the teen stammered "Yeah well a lot of good their gonna' do now!" he laughed taking bits from the boy's hand laughing. 

"Well then you should have waited for me to say I saved you some." the blonde grinned 

"Yeah, two" the red head smiled, sitting down to eat the crumbs, 

"Did you get the job?" 

"Emmhmm. I start tomorrow, loading stuff at some space dock." 

"Will that be hard?" the blonde looked at him now sitting down along side of him at the top of the stairs. 

"How's tedious sound? You know what that word means?" the blonde nodded "No you don't." he teased as the blonde nodded harder frowning slightly "Oh yeah well how about monotonous? Fatiguing? Mundane? Repetitious? Fatuous? The boy just looked at him now annoyed. 

"Your an idiot" he said standing up brushing crumbs off hands. 

"You do not know what they mean, just admit it" the teen teased 

"I do so." the blonde said calmly 

"Yeah well then what do they mean?" he said slyly 

"Why should I tell you, you don't know." 

"What! I do so!" the red head shot spitting crumbs. The face under the blond hair crinkled brushing the crumbs away before looking up annoyed. 

"You do not, the last word you used was wrong, it is more like what you are." he said starting down the stairs 

The red head thought for a moment "Oh yeah!" he called sarcastically "Then what did it mean huh?" 

"Dim-witted" he heard the boy call from the kitchen to the sound of the refrigerator opening. 

"Dim..." witted his head finished. Hey wait a minutes he just "Hey what did you call me brat!" the red head started down the stairs spilling crumbs as he heard the back screen door bounce shut lightly. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"You make one sudden movement and I am sending you home, and I mean it." the seventeen year old spit, the blonde just nodded standing next to his friend in the elevator. "Do not touch a thing Jim." He glared down at the grinning boy who continued nodding, eyes closed "Hey are you listening, if you break something they are going to fire me!" He said to get the attention of the eight year old that seemed too happy to care. The elevator bell rung as the door opened and the two stepped out. 

"Woooo.." he heard the blond sigh from next to him "This is totally awesome!" 

The dark eyes grinned as he watched the blond practically drooling over the entire room, the huge glass windowed roof that covered the warehouse, opening to allow the ship to blast off, the tables of tools, mechanical robots, blinking lights and lots of buttons. 

"And you get to come here everyday!" the blond said now turning around to the teen. 

"Yeah, I have to work Jim." he said plainly. 

"You call this work! This is so cool!.......Can I......" 

"No! Do not touch a thing!" the red head repeated firmly watching the kid frown and turn his attention to something else, pouting. 

The dark eyes picked up a clip board reading the list of objectives for the day before rewriting everything into a time slot schedule provided and hanging it on the wall. "Guys get your butts over here!" the red head announced to the room, several robotics mechanics turning to look at him. "This is what we're doing to day, blue is on cargo, red is on shipping, you, I want you to move whatever that is there out of here, that isn't our area let someone else deal with it..................and this is Jim." he said nudging the boy slightly as he starred at the mechanics who waved at him raising his hand slowly to wave back when interrupted. 

"Stay here and don't move." the red head commanded knocking him into a chair and then walking away, picking up a wrench and a pair of goggles on the way barking more orders that echoed up to the ceiling. 

Don't move? His mind thought, who does he think he's kidding, he doesn't actually expect me to just sit here like a......his mind trailed off as he caught the list of objectives thumb tacked to the wall. The blue eyes darted in the direction of the red head and since he couldn't see him anywhere he stopped swinging his legs and slid off the chair. 

Pulling the paper out easily he began reading, the times, the quantities, the workers names and qualifications, he pulled a couple other sheets off the wall, leaning about the ship and its owner before looking back up. 

"Hey Gene!" the red head pushed the mask from his face with an oily hand as he looked up to see the blond hair staring down to where he was working. 

'Ahh, all right your going home." He sighed 

"Look Gene if you..." 

"Nope, you moved and now your going home." the red head stated matter of factly getting up and tossing his gloves from his pocket. "George get over here and finish greasing that so we can load these crates, I got to take Jim home so......" 

"But Gene!" the boy pushed in front of him. 

"I don't want to hear it! I told you not to move, no I am sorry's this time buddy, this is my job we're talk......" 

"But if you switch your two blocks you'll save two hours!" a paper was thrown into his face by a pleading voice as the blond ran back across the floor and sat in the chair. 

The red head pulled the paper away from his face, shaking his head in amusement before reading the paper. He was right. That little snot was right, how did he know to switch the blocks? The dark eyes shot up intrigued, slowly walking over to the chair and the nervous eyes. 

"Do I still have to go home?" the dark eyes didn't answer, "I wouldn't have gotten up but you couldn't hear me!" the boy pleaded gripping the chair, he obviously really wanted to stay, and the red head grinned. 

"No you don't have to go home." he muttered, the blue eyes widening as a smile swept over the lightface. "But ahh" the smiled disappeared "how did you know, to switch the blocks?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"The blocks, how did you know that switching them would save two hours?" the teen questioned placing his foot on the side of the chair to lean on his knee, paper in hand. 

"You have power on the right side of the ship from 10-1, power on the left from 1-3. If you switch block A with block F you will save two hours in power time." the blonde said matter-o-factly. The dark eyes looked at him calmly as if un-intrigued before looking back down at the paper. The blond gripped the chair again bracing himself, ahh I am going back home for sure. The dark eyes shot back up at him suddenly, a sly grin under the dark red hair 

"You want to come back tomorrow?" 

"Do I!" the blue eyes nearly escaping from the boy as he jumped out of the chair. 

"You can move around, just don't break anything." he smiled at his friend "We break in forty." With that he left the blonde to occupy himself returning back to the crates and the mechanics under his control for the rest of block C. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Aww thank the lord! I was done bout think you all been run over by a truck. You thirty minutes late!" the soft face scolded as the two walked back in the door. "Heavens to Betsy!" she cried as the hall light was turned back on, both the blond and the red head stood in grease and dust. "I ain't having no filth in this house!" she scuffed at them "You march your selves done upstairs or I ain't cooking tomorrow!" 

"But Alice can't I...." the blond started 

"Up Up Up! You want to eat James!?" she scolded as they stomped up the stairs, the teen laughing all the way. 

The red head grinned watching the boy struggling to pull his shirt over his head, almost tripping, before the stronger arm reached over and yanked it off. 

"I don't see what's so funny." the blond snapped snatching his shirt from his friends grasp. 

"You look funny" the red head laughed harder brushing his teeth, as the younger face got more annoyed with him, the blue eyes squinting completely covered with dust and grease. The annoyance practically causing him to choke on his toothbrush with laughter, stumbling out of the room still wet from the shower he just took. 

"Idiot" he heard the kid mumble collapsing in the doorway as he turned around to look back in. The blue eyes snapped up at him scowling. "Shut up!" the red head stopping all noise for a second before gasping for breath as the door slammed in his face. 

"You such an Idiot Gene!" he head the blonde yelling from inside as the shower started, the red head now leaning on the door pounding ever other minute his laughter now calming. 

~*~*~* 

"We saved four hours, if it wasn't for that damn generator we would have been home hours ago." The seventeen year old explained as dinner was served onto the table. 

"It blew up" the blonde said reaching for mash potatoes grasping the spoon just catching his partners sharp glance. 

"It did what!" Alice exclaimed nearly dropping her fork of rice, the blond looking back and forth from her to Gene. 

"It blew out all this smoke, and we had to clean the whole room." The red head added quickly 

"That's why we were so dusty." the blonde shot in 

"Good Heavens I done thought you said it blew up for a moment." the soft face now chuckled fanning herself with her hand "Sploden generators is now wheres' for a young boy these days Gene." she said 

"Yeah yeah, nothing blew up Alice relax. Nothing like that ever happens at the Lou's that guy Bill and his son Fred, they run some business." He stopped shoving some mashed potatoes into his mouth. "Many way, if it feather did, maybe hay would pay me shore." the blond grinned watching him from across the table, Alice simply frowned 

"Don't talk wit ya mouth full." she said turning to the boy seeing him laughing quietly at the teen "Eat!" she yelled as he quickly shoved rice into his mouth too, stopping for a second before nearly spitting it onto the table with laughter. "You see what ya done!" she turned to the red head trying not to laugh herself while frowning. 

"What! Mut I boo?" the red head choked out also trying not to laugh. 

"I done have a house a hooligans that's what I have." she said matter o factly spooning some mash potatoes, watching them choking on their food shaking as the laughter over took them but was not able to escape their mouths. "Done full a hooligans." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"What do you have for lunch?" the red head asked sitting down net to the blonde at the picnic table for employees only behind the space docks. 

"A sandwich, why?" the blue eyes turned up at him, grease on his cheek. Fred Lou had first scoffed when he saw the child working at their space docks, stating that his father would simply not approve, however he was very impressed with the work being accomplished and said he would allow it. He seemed to like them odd as it was, he stopped in to check on Gene several times a week, always sucking up more time then either of them would prefer. 

"Oh I don't know..."the red head said slyly pulling out a piece of blueberry pie. 

"You have pie!" the blonde shot up now standing on the bench reaching over the teen 

"Ah Ah Hey, who said you get any!?" he said pulling the piece now well out of the boys way as he sat liking the blue berry of his fingers 

"Me" he smiled triumphantly, watching the red head eating "Do you have anymore?" he slid the brown paper page over to him looking in "It's no fair that Alice lets you get......you have broccoli!" he looked back up at the red head, who stopped eating for a second frowning 

"Why, you want it?" he stated making a face of disgust towards it 

"Yeah!" the boy said biting it 

"Loser" he muttered, the blue eyes snapped up at him chewing "What kind of kid likes broccoli?" he said again almost laughing 

"Shut up" the boy said slightly annoyed, but happy with the broccoli. "Besides, we can't all get pie." he said truly annoyed now. 

"Oh Jim, its for your own good, you done go and die if I didn't' done stuff you full of done yucky foods for you to done grow on." the red head mimicked. The blonde smiled laughing slightly, squinting in the sun. 

"How much time we save today?" the red head said taking a sip of a small beer before handing some to the blonde. 

"He mimicked taking a swing stopping mid way and practically spitting it all over the teen that nearly lost his pie laughing. 

"Ahhh, this stuff is disgusting!" the blond grimaced looking into the bottle. 

"It's beer, not sugar hearts!" the red head laughed "Drink some" the blonde just looked at him and back at the bottle "Well, if you really don't want to then I'll..." the blonde quickly drank some and gulped it down, gagging slightly afterwards. "Is it good?" the red head smiled 

"Here" the boy pushed the bottle at him and threw his lunch into the trash behind him "If you tell I threw out my lunch, I am telling that you let me drink beer." the teen just laughed finishing off the bottle. 

"Come on" he exhaled tossing his empty bag and bottle into the trash as well " We got to get to work, got a new ship that needs to be loaded." With that he stood up, the blonde following him walking back into the docking space. 

~*~*~*~* 

"It weighs Four hundred and fifty pounds Gene!" the blond said sitting on top of the crate. 

"Great" the red head mumbled "George, get out here we are going to need you for this one! You bucket of bolts" he added under his breath. When nothing came he looked around, all the robot mechanics were busy painting, repairing, and loading. "All right." The teen mumbled, "Where the hell is George." 

"We sent him to the Damn mechanic." the dark eyes shut up at the blond just looking at him. 

"No." 

"Well how come I can't swear!?" the boy now sat up straight ready to defend his position on why he should be able to use profanities like everyone else in the station. 

"Alice will kill me, but if you want to go ahead, it just means you can't work here anymore." the read head said slyly grinning to himself 

"What!?" 

"What? You think Alice is going to let you come back when she sees what done influenced you done under?" he stated momentarily imitating her. The boy just grumbled and slid off the crate. 

"Come on we are going to have to life the crate up to the ship with some kind a pulley system." 

"But George handles the pulley systems." 

"Yeah I know" The red head mumbled, looking at the ship thoughtfully "Well maybe the other mechanics can do it, or be programmed to do it." with that he walked off towards his docking office for paperwork. Leaving the blue eyes starring up at the ship, contemplating. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Hey Jim, it looks like if we zap that annoying plumber robot with say oh 6, 000 volts that we will totally fry his speech capabilities." He chuckled to himself looking down at the clipboard of numbers and charts "Other then that, it doesn't look like we are going to be able to....." the dark eyes glanced up "Jim?............Hey Jim!" he called out over the sounds of the docks looking around. 

"Yeah?" the dark eyes shot up towards the familiar voice to see the blond on the side of the ship making his way over to the pulley do-hickey, as they called it with a rope in hand. 

"What! You get down from there right now Jim!" he ordered 

"Ahh relax Gene." the boy said smiling as he kept right on going. 

"Gee for being so smart all the time you could have rigged some kinda' safety line!" he shot back "No seriously Jim, get down I don't' want you up there, Mr. Lou will understand! Hey hey, what's the motto?" he waited for a response hoping to coax the boy down, but the blonde only shrugged "Don't kill yourself for your work!" he shouted slamming the clipboard down on the crate. "Blast it, I said get down here now!" 

"Hold on!" the boy shouted back now tying the rope around the pulley and lowering it down to the red hair smiling. "I got it Gene, grab the rope." The red head shook his head disapprovingly before grabbing the rope swearing to himself and tying it on to the crate, with everything in its place, three small robotics mechanics were called over to begin hoisting the crate. 

"All right, Up, up, take it a little more keep it steady, we don't want that slack!" the red head ordered 

"To the left some" the blond yelled down over the side of the ship 

"Ok take it to the left, up.........up" 

"No back to the right some. 

"Back to the right a little, there.......there Jim?" 

"Looks good!" the boy gave a thumbs up as he stood up pulling a small piece of rope in. The crate now in the hull of an upper compartment was released to the floor, tilting the hovering ship backwards a bit. The dark eyes widened, no, he thought but it was too late. The tip of the ship caused two previously loaded crates to slip forward sliding into the wall and tilting the ship upward suddenly. His eyes shot up as he heard the small cry of surprise just in time to see the boy slide down the ship and fly into a crate behind a protruding piece of hull. 

"Jim!" He cried running around the hull, shit, I never should have let him climb up! I am such an ...... His mind stopped as he saw his younger partner just sitting on top of a crate rubbing his butt where he had fallen looking down, unaware of the red head in front of him, or at the moment the blood on the back of his shirt. 

"God Dammit!" the yell caused the blue eyes to jump up at his unhappy partner. "Didn't I tell you not to go up there!" he yelled grabbing the boy's arm and ripping him off the crate, he heard a small wince of pain but ignored it, dragging him towards the docking office, practically causing the blonde to trip with the speed. He could have been seriously hurt, what then, stupid kid worrying the hell out of my like that. 

The docking office door flew in as he switched on the light with annoyance gabbing the other small shoulder and practically throwing the blonde onto the top of his desk. "I can not believe you Jim! Why didn't you listen to me, I told you not to go up there! He yelled snatching a first aid kid from the shelf and turning around. The blond just sat on the desk holding the upper part of the arm his partner just grabbed. He felt bad for the kid, he knew it must have scared the hell out of him to fall like that, but he should have known better. He walked over to the boy who jumped a little at his grasp. "Relax" he ordered pulling up the back of his shirt and looking at the gash in the upper left corner of his back. He exhaled heavily before dropping it "Take it off" he ordered again with irritation, digging through the first aid kit. The dark eyes looking back up at the still eight year old "Like today Jim, what are you waiting for the press?" he shook his head as the blue eyes just stared at the disinfectant in his partner's hand. 

He slid around taking off his shirt, his back facing his partner as he heard the liquid of the bottle move, his partner pouring some onto a large cotton ball, the blue eyes squeezed shut as he waited, the large hand pushed the soft cotton onto the gash, watching the tense muscles in the child's back, he didn't make a sound. The red headed teen felt his heart beat return to normal now, watching the blond hair just sit in front of him. He felt guilty for yelling at the kid, he had been really worried, the kid should have known better then to climb up on anything higher then he stood, never mind a ship with out some kind of safety protocol. But that didn't ease his guilt, he knew he had been alarmed, but he should have kept his cool. He watched the boy moving his blonde hair slightly, still not making any sound, just the small wince as the cotton ball moved. 

"Hey Jim, I am really sorry I yelled." the red head spoke softly now looking back at the bottle as he got another clean cotton ball. "You scared the shit out of me!........don't' tell Alice I said that." he laughed lightly "I guess I just got a bit upset, but I didn't mean it, why don't we grab, say some take out or something on the way home huh? The dark eyes glanced back up, catching the boy's back again in its view. 

He felt his stomach turn over as the purple stains of blood underneath the boy's skin formed dark blotches, discolored and pale. The misshapen skin twisted with the forms of all bones protruding their white shapes showing through the thin skin. But his spin, his spin almost ejected from his body, every vertebra almost completely visual as though his skin would give out to the stretching suction that seemed to pull from under it, eating him from the inside out. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Ahh" The outlaw sat up in his bed covered with sweat, his heart racing to the images fresh in his mind. With a swift movement he through his covers off of his now muscular scarred body nearly falling flat on his face as he raced for the doorway. Practically into the hall as he stopped dead, forgetting that he wasn't in the Outlaw Star, he was back on Sentinel 3 for the early winter months, the fall with his crew flooding back into his memory. Aisha and Melfina deciding to travel back to the Ctarl Ctarl Empire for a visit, Aisha was being recognized as a high figure helping to discover the galactic leyline, Suzuka had picked up her Assassin occupation again while Aisha and Melfina were gone. Leaving just him and Jim to manage Starwind and Hawking Enterprises as befor.....Jim! He spun around and there in the opposite side of the queen bed he had just been sleeping in, lay his partner. 

The outlaw tore over to the bed grasping the boy by his arm and pulling him out of bed. With his other free hand he ripped the boy's shirt off despite the loud protests. 

"Gene! What the heck do you think your doing! Get off!" The boy struggled kicking him as he pushed him back into the bed 

"Stand Still Jim! Shut up!" the outlaw barked running his hand over the small spine. It looked normal, completely normal even the small scar in the upper left corner from three years ago, normal. His grip relaxed as the boy tore upward spinning around to face him scowling. 

The dark haired outlaw simply leaned back into the bed from where he sat, the eleven-year-old now perfect height with the head of red hair. 

"Well?" he spit, but the dark eyes didn't even look at him, they just sat staring off into space. "Ahh, I am going to take a shower" the boy mumbled "Its not anyone can get any sleep with a ranting idiot like you in the same room!" he yelled stomping into the hall 

It was a dream, all of it a dream.....but it wasn't. Lou, Alice, even Frankie, he smiled to himself, remembering his past, all the people he had washed over, all that had helped him to learn everything he knew, to be fast with a gun, get a good meal, feel loved, get a ship, blast into space, own his own business. The sound of a slamming cabinet in the bathroom brought him back to realty as his listened to his younger partner slamming stuff around irritated, the shower water turning on. 

The outlaw simply picked himself up and walked out into the hall stopping at the bathroom door. "Jim I am going to go downstairs and make some coffee, sorry about all that. I don't know what came over me." he said lightly laughing at himself. The bathroom door clicked unlocking and then opened the blue eyes peering up at him, as they did three years ago when he first met Jim, even thought it felt like so much longer. 

"Yeah well" the boy mumbled "Just remember that I am not one of those girls you bring home Gene." the boy scowled at him again, pausing as a small smile of forgiveness emerged under the sulking blond hair "weirdo" he mumbled shoving past him and heading back to the bedroom for new clothes. The outlaw simply smiled and headed towards the stairs, I'll just put a lot of sugar in his coffee he thought that oughta make him happier. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The outlaw stood at the counter stirring the solution of his mug as he listened to his partner coming down the stairs, his laughter breaking the silence as the blond entered the kitchen shaking his head. He groaned at the snickering outlaw as he pulled the milk out of the refrigerator, the outlaw quickly grabbing it, watching its creamy color invade the blackness of his cup.. 

"You know." the blonde finally managed between spoonfuls of the cereal he now sat eating. "We have a job at nine and you should have to do it." the blue eyes spit squinting at his un-entertained partner who just sipped more of his coffee. 

"You owe me Gene! Now go and get it done! I am going back to bed." he muttered again starting to eat. 

"Yeah well." the outlaw started watching the chewing in front of him. "Since its an engine job don't you think Starwind and Hawking should sent the part that knows about engines?" He smiled slyly leaning back in his chair as the blonde stopped; he hadn't known it was an engine job. 

"Ahhh!" the boy scowled getting up "This is so like you Gene!" he heard from the hall where the boy was now heading up the stairs to get ready, the outlaw's smile widening. 

"Don't worry Jim!" he called up to him "I will be here when you get back!" the outlaw laughed, sliding the cereal bowl over to eat it. 

"Pizza! 

"What!?" the outlaw called back up with a mouth full of cocoa puffs 

"I want Pizza for dinner! It's my night to pick so you better pick some up before I get back Gene." the blonde grinned now at the bottom of the stairs. The red hair shrugged continuing to eat. "Are you eating my cocoa puffs?" the blonde asked sounding tired, to the outlaw's nodding as he shoved more into his mouth 

"We have more in the house" the outlaw said now turning to look at his partner, cocoa puffs sticking out of his cheeks. The blue eyes just stood looking at him, before letting out a loud sigh heading for the door. The red head shrugged again as he heard the door shut before grabbing his coffee standing up from the table. 

A small amount spilled onto the wood of the coffee table as the cup was sat down, the outlaw sighed stretching out on the couch, he was tired from his dreams. Why, is it always the same? He thought to himself, remembering the three times he had remembered his past, and the faces of those behind him. Every time the memories becoming distorted in the end somehow. The outlaw closed his eyes, it's not like I could even tell Jim, he thought miserably, then he would really worry. The dark eyes started to open again catching the warm sunlight that filled Starwind and Hawking Enterprises before shutting again, as he drifted to sleep. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Aww blast, 600 my butt!" the blonde yelled at the television startling the dark eyes. They looked up from the couch at the young blonde now in front of the television engrossed in videogames. The red hair slide over the dark eyes as the outlaw sat up on the couch, his foot nearly landing in a box of chicken and rice. The dark eyes blinked, there was Chinese all over his living room. 

"Hey Jim" he moaned "What did I say about letting strange people into the house when I am not here, or when I am sleeping." he added quietly, as if that had been the understanding. 

"He delivers food Gene, what kinda IQ do you have if you do that for a living?" the blonde smirked leaning to the right with his controller "They aren't mass murderers" he chuckled straightening back up pushing buttons. 

The outlaw merely grumbled "Ahh I don't' want to hear it, no more take in." he said leaning back down "You watch the news?" 

"Hello I have been working all day." the blonde shot annoyed still staring wide eyed at the screen. 

"Yeah well there is some kinda flu going around, and no one comes in Starwind and Hawking unless Starwind lets him." He said exhaling as he stretched, the blond just smirked shaking his head. 

"Idiot" He heard the kid mutter, he stopped momentarily eyeing him, before picking up some egg rolls and putting them into his mouth. 

"I couldn't get pizza cause they were all closed." the blonde said the controller dropping to the floor as he climbed over the coffee table grabbing some chow mein. "Think they're all sick?" The outlaw shrugged, piling in the chicken and rice, before standing up and walking towards the kitchen. The face under the blonde hair continued chewing watching his partner pull out the milk and a bowl, before he grabbed the cereal box, the blonde grinning at him. 

"Magic Stars?" the outlaw said sarcastically leaning into the refrigerator. 

"hmm, thought you would like em." 

The blonde laughed harder as he watched his partner trying to rip open the plastic bag inside the cardboard before it tore and sent several circles and magic stars to the floor. He groaned kicking them under the refrigerator as he added milk. 

"You have kitchen tonight." he smirked piling a spoonful of cereal into his mouth, the blue eyes just frowned and got up heading for the kitchen the empty soy sauce bottle in hand. 

The television flicked on as the outlaw put his feet up on the coffee table, listening to the sink filling as he chuckled to himself. 

"....This new epidemic, we have a specialist on the air who is prepared to give us the latest available information. Once again you are watching RPC here on Sentinel, but first lets switch over to Doug with the latest information on tonight's robbery." The television switched off. 

"I am going to go to bed Jim!" the outlaw called into the kitchen where he watched the blonde walk over to the ringing phone. 

"Hello Starwind and Hawking Enterprises.....good, what are you doing?....yeah he's sitting in the living room.......nothing I am the one cleaning the kitchen!" the dark eyes shot towards him listening. "......you could say that, but I am the one doing all the work around here, I was up at like eight this morning......yeah I know, but Gene woke me up, he practically killed me!" The blonde laughed slightly about to say something as the outlaw grabbed the phone. 

"Who are you talking to?" he demanded placing the phone to his ear 

"Jim?........Hey Jimmy where'd ya go?" he listened to the Ctarl Ctarl squeaking, the sounds of the bioandroid talking behind her, as he rolled his eyes his partner laughing at him as he walked out of the room. 

"Hey Aisha." he mumbled 

"Gene!" she squeaked again "Guess what! I have good news; Melfina and I are coming back up to Sentinel! We gotta' pick up some stuff and Melfina has to get something to eat, her weak stomach can't seem to handle the superior taste or the Ctarl Ctarl." The dark eyes rolled again sighing "So we are coming back to see you two! Also! We got a small job we can do so we'll have some money for you when we get there." 

"Great!" he heard the blonde chime in from where he had picked the phone up upstairs. 

"Jim Get off the phone!" the outlaw yelled upstairs annoyed. 

"What are you goin' to do about it?" he heard the boy laugh, Aisha and Mel both talking away to each other before Aisha got back on. 

"Mel says bye, see you soon!" she screeched hanging it up. 

"Ahh, I am going to bed." the outlaw mumbled hanging up the phone and heading towards the stairs. 

"I don't see how you could be tired." the blonde spoke sarcastically making his way down "You have been sleeping all day!" 

"Yeah well then I guess you should definitely go to bed because you have been working all day." the outlaw spit back up at the unimpressed blue eyes, which simply continued walking into the living room. 

"I'll go to bed later." he heard the blonde say as the video games switched back on, the dark eyes turning back around continuing upstairs to bed. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The red hair rested lightly on his forehead as the dark eyes opened, the warm sun of the mourning spilling into the bedroom. He moaned slightly pulling himself outa bed and stumbling down the stairs towards the kitchen. It was surprisingly quiet, he stood, cold tiles under his bare feet, not a sound. He walked over and picked the note off the table. 

Went to work you lazy ass, check the messages. 

The outlaw smiled dropping the paper back down as he poured a cup of coffee. "Wish he would have woke me up" he mumbled to himself, sipping the hot liquid, but I guess he can do whatever he wants; he shrugged and left the room. 

Sinking into the couch he flicked on the television, remote and coffee in hand. 

"...Are the signs of the beginning flu, they will be running all day at the bottom of the screen. If anyone is thought to be contagious or a possible carrier of the virus, please do the right thing for Sentinel and report their where-abouts. All potential contagion's are asked to report to the nearest white diamond for quarantine, all who do not willingly report will suff....the tv was suddenly muted. 

"Ahh this is so damn boring!" "Don't they have anything more inter....." the slam of the front door cut him off. "So how did it go?" he called over his shoulder. 

"Don't even ask." the blond mumbled sitting down on the couch sighing loudly. "When's Aisha and Melfina getting back?" 

"I don't know Jim.......it would normally take three or four days, but they said they had a job along the way so....." the loud sounds of the coffee being chugged drowned out the sigh at the opposite end of the couch, the blue eyes lazily resting on the muted television, showing some pizza restaurant or something. 

"Wanna' have some fun?" the outlaw smiled slyly facing the dull blue eyes, they new that look and wanted to un-encourage any immediate action. 

"Naa, I have to work on our financial situation Gene...Not much is being done around here!" the child seemed to get a little annoyed by his last sentence 

"Ahh lay off Jim, I haven't been sleeping very well." he watched the blue eyes turn back to the muted television, glancing at the lists of people infected, thought to be infected and the signs of contamination, resting on sleeplessness. 

"Hey just forget about it Jim." the outlaw snapped. "Come on, I am going to go eat something I am not supposed to." he laughed strolling to the kitchen the scowling blonde behind him shouting more about money. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Gene get your hand out of it!" the blue eyes frowned shoving the scared hand away from the bowl 

"All right all right" the outlaw mumbled watching as the boy turned to the refrigerator to get some eggs, diving at his chance to dig out as much brownie mix as possible with three fingers and a spoon. 

"GENE!" the boy yelled ripping the bowl from him, watching his partner smile satisfied as he licked his fingers before starting on the spoon. "This is the third box of mix, how can you keep eating it like that!" 

"How can you stop eating it!" the red head shot back as chocolate slid into his mouth from the dangling spoon. 

The boy just sighed cracking an egg and stirring it in, he had stopped eating mid second box. 

The strong arms picked up the bowl and started pouring it into the pan, before abruptly raising it above his head letting it drain into his mouth, his younger partner punching him the arm yelling. 

"Ahh Shut up, I am going to share!" the outlaw chocked moving the bowl over the golden hair, laughing as the chocolate fell onto the light face before it jumped out of the way. Listening to the running sink water as he steadied the bowl over his mouth again still chuckling to himself. He sighed as the phone range, dropping the bowl to the counter adn wiping his mouth with he back of his hand answering. 

"Yeah, Starwind and Hawking Enterprises?" the outlaw said lamely "Uh huh..........an electric lock security system?" his glance shot across the kitchen to the blue eyes that watched him questioning before bolting for the door, the small red shirt barely slipping from the grasp of the large scarred arm that tried to stop him. "And what did you say your name was?" he paused hearing the click of the phone upstairs, he wanted to yell at his partner to get off, but it would have looked bad for business. "Ruthaberg?.........ahh hold on." The outlaw placed the phone down and walked to the living room switching on the television. I could have sworn I saw that name on tv. 

"Hey, where are you going!?" the dark eyes yelled to the blonde rushing to the front of the building. 

"He is going to pay us four thousand Wong! I am there!" he heard the boy yell opening the door. 

"Hey wait Jim!" the front door slammed, the outlaw knew he ignored his last order, the dark eyes scowling back to the television just in time to watch Ruthaberg scroll up the screen. "Blast it!" he spit grabbing his cloak and caster heading for the door, letting it slam behind him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~40 minutes later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"No you are misunderstanding!" the man pleaded at the enraged red head grabbing the blond by the arm and yanking him behind him. 

"No there is no misunderstanding!" he shot back, pulling his partner from the Ruthaberg house as the man followed behind begging 

"Please, Please I pay money, more, what is you want?" he said grabbing the outlaw's shoulder before drawing back as he spun around, the dark eyes glaring as he stood in the doorway. 

"I am going to report you!" he threw his finger into the man's face, as the eyes widened with horror slamming the door. 

"Please, please do not!" he could hear the man from behind the strong wooden door, hands pressing against it to keep anyone from entering. 

The dark eyes shot down as he grabbed blonde hair in his fist and drug his partner to the car, shoving him into the passenger side. The blue eyes watched the outlaw stomp around the front of the car swearing under his breath before getting in. 

"Just what the hell did you think you were doing!" He shot putting the key in the ignition 

"Getting a Job!" the blue eyes shot back defensively. The dark red hair shook in disgust to the whole situation as the car started down the street alarmingly fast. The small blonde quickly reached for the seat belt as the car swerved missing a passing taxi by an inch. 

"Hey Why don't you get off the Road! Loser" the outlaw muttered more profanities pulling his head back in the window and swerving the car again. The boy grabbed the small handle on the side of the door to keep from sliding in as his partner yelled at a near by pedestrian about cross walks. 

The car bolted to a stop directly in front of Starwind and Hawking, as the outlaw broke the small second of silence. "Get in the house." he ordered slamming the car door and walking up the stairs into the building. 

He stormed to the kitchen slamming his hand onto the refrigerator ripping it open and taking a swing of milk as the front door shut. The dark eyes turned to look at the small figure standing in the hall, the blue starring back at him for a second before walking upstairs quietly. Small amounts of milk dribbled to the floor as the outlaw struggled to keep from spitting it everywhere, jumping the sound of the slamming bedroom door. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Ahh!" the outlaw swung his fist over to the buzzing alarm clock punching the button in and knocking it off the small table with a smash before sitting up "Jim" he muttered "What the, Why the hell did you put it right next to my ear!?" the outlaw spit rubbing his ringing head. 

The blond didn't answer, rolling over to face the wall. 

The outlaw groaned, "Fine fine, I am sorry! Will you talk to me now!" the blue eyes looked down at him, unsatisfied. "Hey don't look at me! I can not believe you were so careless Jim!" the blonde sighed loudly rolling out of bed, and walking out of the room. The dark eyes closed again, leaning back into the sheets, he knew the kid was sorry, I'll just let him off the hook, it was a mistake anyway, he thought to himself. He already has enough on his mind................"Sorry!" he shot out into the hall, before turning back over and going to sleep. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Blast!" the outlaw spit leaning to the right trying to will his swordsman away from the swinging ax on the tv screen. His fingers pressing buttons rapidly as he watched the head of his character be sliced off, the blood splattering to a game over as he growled through clenched teeth. "Ahhh No one can get through this level! It's stupid!" he shouted the radio playing in the kitchen as the game reloaded. 

"....e are currently advising that all occupants of Sentinel who have not come in contact with the virus to please stay in their homes and avoid other civilians. We are currently broadcasting the names of the ill, and deceased on all stations and will be joined by specialist Herald Lockneed for a second time today at 6:00. Again if you come in contact with anyone containing any of the symptoms in phase one which consist of nose bleeds, fevers, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, discoloration of skin, loss of depth perception, and the swelling or liquid in the ear causing a loss or hard of hearing please contact the nearest Blue Diamond or Federal Office at 678-3241-5583, again these and other numbers are available on all channels with this broadcast, at this time we will not be allowing anyone to evacuate Sentinel un...... 

"Evacuate!" the outlaw spit again the blood splattering game over "From a stupid flu!" the red head reached for the remote switching on the television as he heard the front door shut. On the screen riots and fires were starting all over Sentinel, the reporter was hardly able to speak clearly into the camera. Blue Diamond and Federal Officers were seen rounding some people up and trying to break up the fights firing their weapons into the air. "Man..." his voice trailed off as he sat wide eyed at the screen, how did this happen, everything was fine a day ago......"Jim! Come take a look at this!" he shouted not moving his gaze from the television "And no more going out" he added as the blond walked into the room hardly looking at the tv before mumbling fine and heading upstairs. 

"Guess he's still got a problem. I said I was sorry three days ago!" he muttered irritably, but again his mind wondered back to the television of suffering civilians before he couldn't stand the sight any longer and shut it off. He sat for a moment, before getting up with a loud sigh. I got to talk to him sooner or later, and he better get it, no more going out, the outlaw thought to himself as he headed up the stairs to the bedroom. 

He opened the door to see the blonde sitting on the bed typing, the blue eyes glancing up at him as he walked in 

"What do you want?" the boy mumbled 

"Nothing!" he said matter or factly before continuing more irritated " You want to tell my why you are still mad, I said I was sorry Jim what more do you want?" 

"I am not mad just busy." the boy answered looking straight into the computer 

"Yeah whatever." the outlaw mumbled the blue eyes snapped up at him, Gene was testing him, he knew it. But he simply sat quiet; the two partners staring at each other until the outlaw gave up. 

"Fine fine, work if you want, I am going to go down stairs and play videogames." he said getting up "And you look weird, so take a shower or sleep on the couch." he grumbled feeling the irritated eyes on his back as he left laughing slightly changing his mind. "Never mind I am going out, don't let anyone in." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The air was brisk outside as the dark eyes looked around. The empty quiet streets were a sight "Wonder where the party is?" he muttered loosing the hold to his caster. "Better safe than sorry." he smiled slyly, as if he ever listened to that phrase. 

His strong arms pushed the bar door open as the cloudy smoky room came into view. The same loud music and cheap smells lingering as always, but it was different tonight. "Hey Joe!" he called watching the bar tender look up at him "Where is everyone, what happened to all the girls?" he spoke eyeing the room, sending a smile to the blond chick in the corner hardly dressed as she occupied the stage. 

"Most of em wouldn't come in. Said they didn't want to get sick. What can I say, as long as I got one, it's still a pay for the night bar." he chuckled shinning a small shot glass. 

"Yeah, guess so. I didn't' think it was all that serious?" the dark eyes turned around sitting down for a drink. 

"Beats me, I have a business to run here, I don't have time for all this nonsense flu business." 

"I hear that." 

"Some officials in here earlier, wanting to look around, check out the girls. I told em to get the hell out. I run a clean joint, someone doing something illegal in here, that's there fault, and they'll be gone in the mourning anyway, it's no problem of mine." The outlaw was silent nodding with agreement as he drank. "However I do wish I had more customers, you got any friends you can bring in here Gene? I'll give you a fifty percent discount what do you say?" he smiled now sitting the cup and rag down. 

"Hey I would, but I only got one and he can't drink yet." the outlaw smirked the man shot him a weird look before shrugging and continuing his polishing. 

"Well then why don't you get the hell out of here, I am gonna send Chrissy home tonight, there is no sense staying open. I don't want a good customer getting sick and there isn't any damn business with those officials chasing everyone around, blasted bunch a suits." 

The outlaw chuckled "Yeah I'll see ya Joe" he dropped his cup to the table walking back to the door, the cool night air hitting him again as he walked into the street. "What the?" he stammered watching the car smolder, small flames still burning "How did I miss that?" the outlaw grinned walking away, he sure hadn't noticed it when he came in. Guess I better just stay home too, he thought. The streets were quiet and deserted, probably as safe as they had ever been, no alley gangs to worry about, no drunks, prostitutes or druggies, they were absolutely deserted, and yet it gave him a sick sensation that something was wrong. Somehow the lack of chaos and life seemed more upsetting then the crimes and mayhem that usually populated the inner streets, and he found himself walking faster, anxious to get back and off them. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Again the outlaw picked up the remote and switched on the tv. 

"..lier this evening when trying to illegally leave Sentinel. The space forces are now commenting....." the tv continued 

"Hey Jim look at this! The space forces just arrested a ship trying to leave!" he called into the hall still staring at the tv. He heard his partner walk out of the room, watching from the banister. "Gilliam's not going to be happy about this." the outlaw laughed to himself, envisioning the ships response to the news. 

"What about Aisha and Mel?" the voice called down to him 

"Oh yeah, we better let them know what's up." the outlaw said dropping the remote onto the couch as he headed to the phone listening to Jim upstairs now entering the bathroom. 

"What do you mean I can't go through!" the blonde heard his partner yelling from downstairs "Well yeah but....Well why the hell not!?..... Look lady who the........Huh?...No!........Yeah yeah I know a report to a blue diamond or federal office sight now how's about....hello?.....Hey!" The blue eyes smiled meekly as he heard the phone slam onto the table downstairs. 

"Can't call off Sentinel, well we'll just see about that" the outlaw grumbled to himself. I'll just have Jim hack into the operating system so we can get through, he thought as he headed upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door. 

"Hey Jim! Why don't you wait on the shower and help me out with something first!" he heard the blonde say something inaudible before he started again. "What!?" the same inaudible phrase was said again through the door. "Hey Jim open the door, I can't hear one word your saying!" the outlaw barked irritated. 

"Just Wait!" he heard the boy yell, wanting to make sure he was heard this time. The door clicked open to the small blond in a baggy shirt and boxers as the outlaw shoved his way in almost knocking him over. 

"OK so I was thinking, this stupid operator won't let us call off Sentinel. So in order to get in touch with Mel and Aisha you're going to have to pull a few strings." The blonde just looked up at him as he stood leaning against the sink "So can you hack into the operating system or not?" the outlaw said plainly looking at his partner expectantly. Suddenly it became very obvious that his presence was upsetting him, he seems very nervous that I am here, he thought to himself as he looked at the frowning blue eyes. 

"What's the matter with you?........Look you can stop worrying, I am not going to die of the scary epidemic." the outlaw said sarcastically waving his arms above his head slightly mocking the news crews. 

"Eeehh" The boy exhaled quickly letting out a small noise, as his breathing increased a look of distress coming over his face, the dark eyes just staring at him. 

"Hey what the hell is wrong with you?" he paused as the blond continued to avoid eye contact with the outlaw. "Is this because Aisha and Mel aren't coming?" The blond hair started to shake no, before started to say yes more forcefully. 

"Gene please leave, so I can take a shower." the eleven year old practically whined at him. The dark eyes frowned staring at his younger partner, confused and displeased, but not fooled 

"It's not because of Aisha or Mel?" he said again as the blue eyes just stared at him not answering. " Did I do something? Look I am sorry Jim I told you that three days ago. It just freaked me out, I don't need you getting this flu cause we got to run a business he..." he stopped abruptly to another sigh. 

"Get out Gene!" the blonde yelled weakly looking downward while shoving his partner towards the door, the dark eyes just watching, feeling himself stepping backwards. He was shocked, what the hell, he hasn't acted like this....ever. What kind of look was that? his mind questioned as the door slammed in his face. 

The outlaw backed up against the banister and slid to the ground. I have never seen that look before, his mind concluded, I have absolutely no idea what is going on here, he thought miserably leaning his head back as he heard the bathroom water turn on and the shower start, closing his dark eyes to wait. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

It was black out and he could only guess at what time of night it might be. The dark eyes quickly adjusting to the room to catch his partner downstairs asleep on the couch, the glow of his laptop shinning onto him. He must have fallen asleep with it on he said now turning it to face himself. He looked at the screen, not that he was really interested but he was never able to work the computer, partially because he never had a lot of practice and partially because it had a password protection that even he didn't know. 

The blue eyes shivered slowly opening to the noise of his partner. He froze as he watched the red head, hoping he would loose interest and go eat something or get something anything, just leave the room, but instead the outlaw sat down on the couch switching on the television flicking through the stations of news. He heard him grumbled something about everything being so damn boring as he got up and walked to the other side of the room digging through their cabinet of movies. He turned back around now with possible choices in his hand before the dark eyes shot up catching the blue ones one him. 

"Hey I didn't know you were awake." he said quietly as if there were other people sleeping in the house. "You want something to eat?" the blonde hair shook no as the outlaw shrugged. "Want to watch a movie?" the outlaw smiled shaking the ones in his hand as if it were a treat of some kind. 

"Sure" the boy sighed drawing his blankets in tighter 

"All right, how about Snow White?" the blond grimaced "Why do we even own that one!" he said kicking a pillow off his foot and to the floor to the laughter of the outlaw as he threw a cassette over his shoulder and back into the pile. 

"Alright then I guess we are left with Terminator?" The blonde shrugged watching the outlaw push it in to the VCR and sit back down as the phone rang. The blue eyes shot to the small table where it lay. Maybe it's Aisha, or Mel? What if Suzuka is calling us because she needs help. He stared at the phone, he wanted to get, but he couldn't get up, he didn't want Gene to see him. The outlaw sighed annoyed as he realized he would have to get it. 

"Hello?.........hey." the outlaw said lightly before starting to laugh "Really!" he exclaimed sarcastically "No, do you think?......ahh shut up Aisha." the outlaw said annoyed before laughing again, the blue eyes wide wishing he could hear the conversation. In the still of the night he could hear Aisha's squeaking coming out of the phone pausing each time his partner spoke. "All right you do that Aisha" the outlaw said slyly as he hung up the phone, and sighed. The dark eyes shot at the boy, staring at him. 

"What?" 

"What." the outlaw repeated as if it were the stupidest thing he ever heard "Why didn't you get on the other line?" 

"I don't know." 

"Don't give me that, you always get on the other line, every time! Even when I tied you to the oven cause you hated that one girl and ruined every chance I had with her, you still got to the other line!" 

"Gene, you left the scissors right next to..." 

"That is not the point Jim! I told you I was sorry! You never shouldn't have done what you did, you put us both in danger, never mind Aisha and Mel." The blue eyes leapt as the outlaw brought the girls into the subject, his breathing increasing. "Hey what's the matter with you?" he scowled sitting back down, as the blonde got up quickly to avoid getting near the outlaw. 

"Sorry" he muttered as he walked up the stairs hearing the outlaw stand up behind him. 

"Hey Jim I told you not to worry about it!" he called as the boy kept walking, "ahh" he growled slumping back into the couch. "Forget it." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"And that was a half an hour ago! The outlaw yelled up at the hall from where he sat at the kitchen table stuffing his face with the left over Chinese take out. "If you don't get up right now Jim! I am..." he looked around quickly for something to use as leverage "I am taking your laptop when I leave!" he smiled slyly knowing if anything could get the kid out of bed it would be a threat like that. He glanced at the clock as he heard his partner coming down the stairs 11:45; he had a job to get to at noon. 

"Can I have my laptop now?" the blond grumbled standing in the kitchen doorway in only a shirt and boxers. 

The outlaw stopped chewing for a second catching the sight of his partner for the first time that day. He looked extremely under the weather; the dark rings under his eyes were even more intense against the pale tone of his skin. The dark eyes looked at him suspiciously as he slowly extended the laptop he held in his hand "Here take it." he said swallowing, watching the child intently as he reached up to take it but grabbed only air. The blue eyes frowned focusing on the laptop as he hesitated reaching for it again. His hands continuing to grab only air until he stepped forward frustrated that he couldn't grab it. -Depth perception- echoed through the mind of the outlaw, as he watched he partner snatch the laptop from his hand after several tries, a knot forming in his stomach as he watched him turn around walking right into a chair before stomping back upstairs. 

"I am going back to bed!" he heard the blonde yell as he looked down at his breakfast pushing it away, he wasn't hungry anymore. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Jim I am back!" the outlaw announced as he strolled back into Starwind and Hawking dropping his cloak to the ground whistling all the way to the kitchen. 

He opened a cabinet and peered in, after several seconds the whistling continued as he pulled out boxes and dishes. He heard his partner walk into the kitchen from behind him as he filled a pot with water. 

"Hey Jim, any jobs?" he asked lightly now placing the pot onto the stove. 

"Gene I.." 

"Yeah Yeah I got paid in full." the outlaw stated answering the child's most frequent question. 

"Gene, I think I should leave." the voice behind him stated ignoring his precious statement. 

The dark eyes spun around wide. "What did you just say!?" the outlaw shot staring at the blonde. 

"I, I think I am sick with this thing, the radio says I should go to...." his voice started trailing as he watched his partner's face become enraged with the topic, just staring at him. Water spilling onto the floor as the cup he held in his hand smashed to the pressure of his grip. The blue eyes blinked nervously as he watched his partner turn around to reach for a towel too more bowls smashing as uncooked pasta spilled onto the floor to the sounds of the fierce swearing until he just stopped, hands griping the edge of the counter. 

"Jim..." the outlaw spit turning back around to face his younger partner causing him to jump, his face tight with a look as though he would kill the next person to disturb him. The blonde backed up alarmed as the large scarred arm grabbed him, pulling him from the kitchen. 

"Gene! Let me go!" the boy screamed pushing at the hands that shoved him into the couch. The boy struggled to get back up, stopping as the dark eyes hit him, watching his partner flick on the tv and connect a wire they never paid for. 

"..ight, if you have just joined us you can see the victims of the spreading plague being rounded up inside the very warehouses used to store salt for the winter months. It is rumored that victims are separated by sex and age inside the massive bunkers as officials admitted earlier, "they are just waiting to die". As you see at the bottom of your screen this is a scene from earlier this evening, when a mob of people attacked a home and a woman crossing the street who had been believed to be infected. Their cases were confirmed and they are not thought to be housed with the rest. Back to you Gerald." 

"Thank you Steven, as earlier victims finally passed away this mourning autopsies revealed the cause to their traumatic death. It appears that the virus, separated into three intervals or phases is fatal during its third, and what is being called its final stage. It appeared to doctors at the sight that the victims stomachs had literally produced acids that dissolved itself, the acid then spreading to the rest of the internal tissue, dissolving organs and massive blood veins. At least we can say this painful phase cuts itself short, as victims soon die of internal bleeding and lef...." 

The dark haired outlaw stared at his younger partner, as he stood mesmerized almost out of fear. The images of people fleeing into the streets as a car blew up and federal officers rushed in firing. The eyes blinking in disbelief as its chest moved rapidly. 

It seemed the television repeated itself over and over anyone seen, anyone seen with, living, a contaminated person, report...report victims?..call?..use the phone to turn people in? The boy thought as he felt the room swirl around him, the sound of Gene's voice flooding his mind. "I am going to report you!" his finger in the clients face as he pulled the blonde from the building. "Hang a black clothe on your door if"....the tv cut back into his thoughts. He sank into the couch his legs no longer able to support him. His hands were shaking as he gripped the sides of the cushions to steady his vision, his rapid breathing only making it worse. 

The outlaw watched his partner muting the tv as he became aware that he was no longer listening. He watched the head of golden strains shaking. He didn't know, this whole time, he never knew, they aren't telling the people that, he thought bitterly. 

"Is?...you aren't...?" he heard the boy whisper "Maybe I was wrong! It could be just a cold Gene!" the boy yelled at him, as if asking him if it could just be a cold. "Do you think that maybe..." it looked like his body was malfunctioning to the outlaw, as if he were fighting inside to make it work, to keep it together. Or maybe, he is fighting on the outside, to keep it all in, the outlaw thought over the boys rambling. "I don't wanna' go, and I feel a lot better now, maybe tomorrow...." the boy cried now his voice rising and falling as he pulled his legs inward on the couch trying to stop his body from acting against his will, trying to stop the shaking that seemed to be swallowing him. "I just think that maybe I could be wrong." the boy mumbled at him again, looking down hugging his knees. 

The dark eyes just watched him. He didn't move, he didn't breath harder, or act faster, it was as if his partner were miles away from him, or this was a tape he had seen everyday of his life. He didn't feel a thing. Why don't I feel bad for him? He thought Why aren't I worried?." his mind spoke slow and calm, as he felt his mouth opening to speak 

"Jim go upstairs and go to bed." the blue eyes shot up at him, looking at him trying to decide. Why does he want me to leave?, is he going to turn me in?, they will come and take me even if Gene fights them. They will get me. Why should I go to bed? Maybe I am not sick after all, maybe I just think that I am, I have been doing a lot of work. Why should I go to bed!? What's going to happen if I am, am I going to, will I..... Why should I go to bed?! His mind raced screaming inside of him. He felt his breathing long deep breaths as though air had been taken from him and he was fighting to get it back. "Rest, we will see how you are in the mourning." the outlaw said calmly still standing next to the tv. 

In the mourning? In the mourning I will be different because I would have, I would have gotten to sleep and I ......"Gene! I can't sleep with you or you will get sick too!" He was still, sitting perfectly still now as his blue eyes widened. What do you mean you're going to get him sick, who said you were sick! The blue eyes slowed, the breathing dropped, his body was exhausted, it was surrendering, I am sick he thought over and over, I am, I know it, I was trying to warn him, that means I am. The blue eyes rose back up to the silent outlaw waiting for the answer, the answer that Gene always had when times got ruff, when no one knew what they were doing, or where they were going his partner was always at his best. He always fixes everything that I can't he thought. 

"Go to bed" the dark eyes said firmly, watching the boy slide off the edge of the couch slowly and walk upstairs silently, the sound of the television filling the room again as he hit the mute button. 

"Immediately.....again for phase one people should look for a loss of depth perception, appetite, sleeplessness, nose bleeds, bags under ones eyes, and trouble hearing..... Phase two is indicated with violent chills, nausea, a purplish color around areas such as the lips, eyes, hands, and knees, extreme sensitivity to hot, cold, wet and dry, in all areas especially on the skin and in the mouth......if you or anyone you know have come in conta....." What am I going to do; he thought to himself, what am I going to do. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"I said right now Jim!" the outlaw yelled up into the hall from the kitchen, his eyes searching for the laptop, but he didn't see it anywhere, well that doesn't mean that he has it, maybe its just in the car or something, "If you don't come down right now I am going to take your lap...." his voice stopped as the bedroom door opened and his partner walked to the bathroom. The outlaw turned back around to the frying eggs flipping them over before grabbing some milk and pouring it into a glass. 

The kitchen chair behind him scuffed against the floor as the small blonde sat down answering the loud requests of his partner. The dark eyes turned around to face him as it carried over a plate of eggs, one of the only things he was capable of cooking. 

"I am not hung.." 

"Eat it" the outlaw ordered turning back around and shutting off the stove, the blue eyes just looked down at the eggs in front of him, their smell making him sick. 

Blast it, he doesn't look better he looks worse, the outlaw's mind raced, the dark eyes peering over to his partner as he shoved an egg around his plate. The deep swollen eyes against the pale skin, the purple color on his lips and around his face as though he were freezing. 

"You have to eat it Jim." the outlaw spoke rubbing his eyes, trying to hide the worry from his face. 

" I don't want it." the voice answered, the blue eyes watching him. "Well I don't!" 

"So eat it anyway." the outlaw grumbled pouring a cup of coffee. The boy's purple lips frowned staring down at the food as though he would be sick. "All right then just eat the toast, you don't have to eat the eggs." the outlaw said now sipping his coffee, his partner still didn't make a move. "Blast it Jim!" the sound of his voice made the eyes jump as coffee spilled onto the table where the red head had just slammed his cup. He could hear his partner's breathing as the blonde picked up some toast and bit it, grimacing immediately. "Aww come on, I didn't burn it." 

The pale hand pulled the small piece of bread from it's mouth looking at it, as if to find out what it was on the bread that was different..."I know, but it hurts my mouth Gene." 

"It hurts my....Eat it anyway!" the outlaw ordered watching the small piece of bread disappear into the kids mouth as the eyes shut to the swallowing. "See, now eat some more." the outlaw said as he sipped some more coffee watching his partner from over the cup. He sat perfectly still, and for a moment he didn't think the kid was breathing before the blonde turned throwing up onto the kitchen floor. 

The outlaw didn't move, just slowly lowered his coffee to the table sighing, "Alright, you don't have eat the toast either." he mumbled as the blonde now eaised back up into his chair his mouth open slightly from the taste. 

"You're going to turn me in." 

"What!" the outlaw swallowed fast before spitting coffee everywhere 

"Are you going to turn me in?" the blue eyes looked at him demanding an answer 

"No, no you said *your* going to turn me in." the outlaw corrected him shaking his head 

"Its the same thing Gene!" the boy spat at him, breathing harder, his eyes burning into the outlaw. 

"No, no I am not going to turn you in." the dark eyes looked up from the coffee, the blonde's expression hadn't changed "Blast it Jim what do I have to do stand on my head, I said I am not so I am not!" he yelled standing up, this was too much. He looked at his partner, he knew this look, the eyes, they were undecided. 

He's not going to turn me in, he would never turn me in. Not Gene, he wouldn't do that, I saw, saw those people on tv, Gene wouldn't want, he wouldn't let them just have me, he would never call them, never turn me in. But if he doesn't he'll get sick too, Gene's going to get sick to if I stay, it will be my fault if...." 

"I don't' care Jim." the outlaw interrupted his thoughts "I don't' care if I get sick........there is no way I am turning you in alright? Don't worry yourself about it...... Hey we can make a date out of it!" he said grinning "You get the plague, I get the plague, we can have a plague party." The blue eyes filled with sudden tears at his partner's humor as he laughed in front of him. It hurt to hear it, actual physical pain in his chest, he had the plague, they were both going to die, it was really funny, and his sides hurt from laughing. "That's it! Have a party for the cripples, come right in!" the outlaw laughed, but it was a cruel laugh, they were both crying inside, but outside they were laughing. Neither Starwind nor Hawking had ever been that good at crying and in their own way they made up for it. "We......we'll just stick it out like always." Gene said in-between breaths as if it were the funnies thing he had ever heard, the blonde just nodded at him, unable to speak, the sound of their shrilled laughter echoing through the building, marking them, with the cold truth. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"The pale discolored blonde sat on the couch of the living room exhausted and freezing, he sat listening to his own breath looking at a blanket next to him. To tired to pull it up to him because he new in a minute he would just be hot and want to shove it off. The purple hue oh him now consuming his lips and fingers, a slight chill ran through his body as he reached for the remote and the tv flicked on. 

"After today's latest...." The outlaw sat down next to his partner on the couch as it shut off 

"Don't' watch that." he mumbled, both of them silent "Jim, can you hack into the operating system so we can get in touch with Mel and Aisha.....we......we have to warn them Jim." He stared down at the hurt blue eyes, the small pale hand reached to the coffee table opening his laptop. His typing was swift and efficient, not slowed by the disease like the rest of his body. The outlaw just sat watching the screen change, reload and reform, figures being entered, passages being decoded, the blue eyes shinning in the light from the monitor before he stopped, sniffling. 

Pushing the laptop towards his partner the blue eyes cast down "I don't' want to talk to them." he muttered feeling the scared hand guide the laptop in the other direction, his vision was still off and he had almost shoved it off the table. 

"Hello, this is the Artte....Gene!" Aisha's voice squeaked from the monitor sighting the outlaw. "Mel and I are still above Sentinel Gene, what the heck is going on down there, they still won't allow us to dock!" she growled at him now impatient for an answer. 

He was silent, looking at her, at the screen, watching her twitching her whiskers oblivious to what was happening to thousands and thousands of people. What do I say to her, he thought, I should have thought about this before I called, now what do I say, what do I tell the girls. They are bound to find out somehow, I mine as well be.... 

"The planet is under quarantine Aisha, no one can get in or out." 

"Quarantine!?" she screeched face pushing into the screen mashing her noise inward and causing the outlaw to smile. "Yeah there is some kinda of flu, or.........something's going around and it's some dumb precaution the officials are over acting." 

"Well Aisha is coming through, No cold is going to stop a Ctarl Ctarl! I am......." 

"NO Aisha Don't!" the outlaw barked silencing her with confusion. "I lied, its a plague, its killing everyone on Sentinel, no one is being released." 

The Ctarl Ctarl was quiet for a second her concerned face thinking "Well then Melfina and I will help you escape, they can't keep us out any better then they can keep you in Gene." she snarled pleased with the idea. "Where is Jim, I bet he has some good ideas." she hissed smiling widely 

"He's in the kitchen." the outlaw answered quickly 

"Well go and get him! I haven't gotten to talk to the snot for a couple of days Aisha wants to see how tall he's gotten!" she screeched laughing as she teased the boy even when he wasn't there to hear her. 

"I can't Aisha he is busy." the outlaw said again softly now, he missed them. As much as he complained before he missed them so much, the way Aisha was always so happy even when everything was crashing down around him, when they were all tired, bleeding, starving, she was always smiling. Melfina, she was so beautiful, so delicate, he watched her as if her slight touch would shatter everything she touched with love and understanding, she never questions me, she has always been there for me, even when I, when I was to busy for her........he felt his eyes getting warm and he forced his mind to stop and focus on the rambling Ctarl Ctarl. "Don't come Aisha." he spoke shutting the monitor to her screeching. The dark eyes blinked several times regaining his composer before glancing around for his partner, before heading to the downstairs bathroom. 

He pushed the door open slightly peering in at the blonde sitting on the floor. He had silently left when he was talking to Aisha and he never knew it. The dark eyes remained on the blonde hair as it slowly started to rise showing the glazed blue eyes that hid underneath, they were tired from the strain on his stomach, the smell of the room, told the outlaw he had been throwing up. 

"What do we do Jim." the outlaw stated "What are we going to do." he sighed again leaning into the doorway as the blue eyes darted back and forth on nothing, blinking back tears, no answer coming to their questions. 

"Are, are you....." 

"No I am not going to turn you in! We have got to figure out some way we can get the antidote, the good medicine." he whispered now smiling slyly as always. 

"What?" 

"You know the antidote.......that's what we need to get." the outlaw spit out sarcastically a little harder then he intended. 

"What?!" the blue eyes frowned up at him in confusion as the thin pale body picked itself off the floor, swaying slightly as it looked up at him.. The purple frost bit color coating his skin, as thought the top layer had died and needed to be removed. 

"What's the matter with you Jim you are standing right in front of me! " the outlaw yelled partially because he was pissed off panicking to hell and partially so the boy could hear him better. But the blue eyes just stared at him blankly. 

"I am not getting enough." the boy said finally shaking his head. "I can't hear you Gene!" he heard the boy call after him as he stomped out of the bathroom and instinctively towards the kitchen. The dark eyes darted around the room, he was breathing hard as he ripped open a cabinet and threw a dish across to the room watching the pieces fall to the floor as it shattered. 

The blond slowly walked to the couch and climbed up on to it barely able to hear the dishes being smashed again and again against the wall. He was tired and he didn't care what they had to eat on, he didn't even want to look at food. He closed his eyes to the growling frustration in the kitchen, the sirens and cries from the streets, the pain in his stomach and head, closed them to all of this, hoping to fall asleep fast, retreating to a world of darkness. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

He felt his warm head being pushed, pulled upward by strong arms, his eyes opening slowly, tired to the sounds of his partner shoving something at him. 

"Do you think you can do that Jim? I need to get in touch with Fred." the outlaw whispered at the sleeping eleven year old shoving his laptop into his arms. "Huh? Jim....can you do that?" The blue eyes just looked up at him before looking back down rubbing his ears. The outlaw groaned to himself, grabbing the small wrists as the blue eyes shot back up at him "Can You GeT In Tou-chh Wit-th Fred?" the outlaw spoke clear emphasizing the sounds of the letters annoyed. 

The blonde seemed to understand now, opening his laptop as the white light poured onto his skin, giving the purple view of him a new glazed appearance, even worse. 

The outlaw sat down sighing watching the boy typing, much much longer then last time, probably because Fred's got all that security he thought as he felt the laptop being shoved at him. He looked down at the screen reading press any key to enter, the scarred hand reaching for the keypad before looking back up at his partner who sat watching him. He quickly stood up with the laptop and started for the kitchen hearing the boy scrambling off the couch. 

"Gene!" the voice rang out confused and worried glancing around the dark room before grabbing the lamp and turning it on. The outlaw just smiled at him scribbling something down on a piece of paper and tossing it behind him. 

The boy picked up the paper dull to the sounds of kitchen chair being pulled out and the laptop being sat down. 

I am not turning you in Loser 

"Ahh Shut up!" the boy yelled at the kitchen as the outlaw laughed, he hit the space bar. 

"Gene!" Fred's smiling face rose from the monitor "it is so good to hear from you, even through these questionable channels." he frowned slightly probably figuring he would have to increase security. 

"Hey Fred." the outlaw managed 

"How are you and where are you calling me from!?" Fred beamed toying with his ear as usual. 

"I am on Sentinel Fred." 

"Sentinel?" the man's hand dropped from his ear as his smile vanished "But Gene I heard Rumors that Sentinel has been completely closed down for quarantine, some kind of missile crises." 

"That's what they are saying!" the outlaw slammed his fist into the table, they could at lest have the decency to say that everyone was suffering and give them recognition for dying like this! His mind screamed "Fred, there is some kinda of horrible plague sweeping over Sentinel." the outlaw spit hastily 

"Oh Gene, that's not funny." the business man spit waving his hand at the screen to dismiss the comment 

"No, I am serious Fred, everyone......everyone is dying down here." he whispered leaning into the screen. "Jim and I are trapped...." 

"Trapped!" the outlaw watched the man's face become alarmed 

"Everyone is trapped, no one can get in or out, we are all going to die here! Fred............for old times sake, do you think you can do something?" 

"But Gene! I don't understand what I can do?" the man said distressed 

"Fred I want you to hack into the Federal Office, find out whatever you can about what is happening on Sentinel. Send us some kind of specialist or something! Blast it Fred you should see these people, we are all done for!" 

"Ok ok Gene, don't you worry, he is on his way." the man said now forcing a smile. The outlaw smiled back 

"Thanks Fred, you really are our only hope." he watched the screen shut out, as the line disconnected. A new screen emerged suddenly reading enter keyword destination file number access graduated point. 

"Well so much for keyword" he muttered to himself typing ear into the space and hitting the enter key. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~ 

The blue eyes snapped up at him snatching the laptop from his partner's hands on his second try irritated even more so by the fact that he had missed the first time. 

"Just because I can't hear you doesn't mean that you!...." he stopped abruptly as the outlaw gripped his shoulders pushing him into the pillow. The blonde hesitated confused before lying back onto it, watching his partner move slowly over him. "Gene what are you trying to do?.....Write it down!" he ordered thinking maybe his partner was saying something he couldn't hear, but he wasn't. He just slowly moved the blond hair from a round his ear before pressing a warm clothe to it. "Ahhh!" the blonde screamed jolting back "It's burning Gene, are you crazy!" he scowled up at his partner who wore a baffled look 

"What the hell are you talking about Jim!? I am holding it fine." the luke warm washcloth shaking in his hand as the blue eyes widened, I heard him. . The small hands grabbed the cloth quickly pressing it to his own head wincing as the intense heat hit his now overly sensitive skin. The partner's starring at it until the blonde pulled it off. 

"Say something." the boy ordered 

"You have to lay on your side for it to work." the outlaw stated 

"No….I can't hear you." the blue eyes dropped back down to the cloth disappointed. The scarred hands causing them to shoot back up as he pushed the bleached child over pressing the cloth to his ear again. The small blue veins covering the white face of the boy just stared at the television as he lie on the couch waiting. I can hear he thought again, never before so thrilled to hear the sounds of Terminator as it blasted, a meek smile easing onto his face. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Gene!" The Ctarl Ctarl screeched as the banging of the front door echoed through Starwind and Hawking Enterprises, the outlaw bolting up to the sound. "Open the door!" she screeched again. 

The dark eyes shot in the direction of the sound before turning back to his partner who was still sleeping on the other end of the couch, frowning as the sound was breaking to him too. The outlaw quickly got up running to the door. 

This is all a dream isn't it he thought, I am going to open the door to find what? What is this supposed to tell me? Or maybe I am not dreaming, maybe I am going to open the door and find the blue diamond or the Federal officials, here to separate us, to kill us. The outlaw's mind raced in front of the now silent door, I dreamt the whole thing didn't I, he thought. The dark eyes glanced to the side, as his hand pulled the curtain string to the large full-length windows that covered either side of the door in the front of the Starwind and Hawking building. 

He blinked, he couldn't believe it could be true, how did they get here? He heard Jim sit up on the couch behind him, but he couldn't pull his eyes away from the window, the smooth glassy color growing in them as he stared at her small figure. 

"Gene! Don't you have any manners!? What is your problem open the door!" Aisha screeched looking at the tired outlaw from the other side of the glass. 

"Melfina" he whispered, but she could see him say her name. 

"Gene" her face filled with worry her large eyes glistening as she clutched her hands to her chest. 

"Gene." the blonde spoke from behind him hesitant to step into the light snapping his partner back into reality as the small voice spoke on the same side of the glass as his own. 

"Aisha, Melfina you have got to leave Sentinel, there is a plague killing everyone here you...." 

"Well duh!" Aisha squeaked again "Do you think we are stupid Gene, a Ctarl Ctarl such as myself has no worries for a virus such as this, it can't do much damage, Aisha double checked!" she smiled triumphantly before continuing "As for Mel here, she breathes, but for a different reason then you or....where's Jim?" she squeaked pressing her face inward cupping her hands around her eyes to see in better. 

"Do you want to talk to them?" the outlaw said turning around to face his frozen partner. Slowly he began making his way to the window, the light falling on his white body, the blue of his veins showing through his skin coated bitterly with the purple hue of his fate. Until he stood directly in front of it at the gapping Ctarl Ctarl, a shriek of horror escaping the bioandroid as she covered her mouth, her eyes filled with tears. 

"Jim" Aisha whispered sinking down to her knees almost perfect height with him. He looked as though he had just been drowned, the purple in his lips his hands, around the rest of his pale thin body, he hadn't eaten for days. His eyes dark, circles encasing them as he stood staring at her, barely recognizable as alive, except for the burning life in his eyes, they hadn't given up yet. 

A single tear rolled down the soft peach fur of the Ctarl Ctarl as she pressed her hands to the glass in front of her, she wanted to reach through and touch him, but she also needed to hold on to something. The blue eyes just blinked looking at her, at her hands so much larger then his as he pressed his up to the glass, looking at his own pale frost bitten skin with glistening eyes. 

"Oh Jim!" Melfina sobbed tears now rolling down her cheeks before she shot back to the outlaw, as if suddenly becoming aware that he too would soon follow. 

"Don't cry Melfina." the voice spoke softly 

"It's going to be ok Mel." the outlaw added to his partners words almost pressing himself to wear she stood leaning on the glass, too for support. "I am not going to see you two contaminated, you have to leave now." his voice was soft but firm, the dark eyes glistening, staring at the bioandroid who's body seemed to contract and release with each silent choking sob. "Melfina you have to understand, that I love you." she let out another small wail as her chest seemed to rise and fall, her heart throbbing, still clutching her mouth "I have always loved you, ever since the first time I saw you come out of that case, in all the smoke, and I held you hand for the first time that night back on the ship." The dark eyes finally looked up twisted with immense pain, as if she were living the last moments of her life, everything she knew being torn from her as she stood powerless to even touch them. "No matter what happens to me." the dark eyes spoke through clenched teeth now, fighting to maintain a steady voice. "I will always be with you, always Mel!" he yelled as the bio android seemed to slip from the window falling into the Ctarl Ctarl who had stood up to offer her support. Tears soaking the soft fur as she cast her eyes down, the raven hair of the girl covering the side of her face as she cried. 

Her soft hand pressing back against the window almost covering the head of the blond as her small whines could be heard through the glass, preying to the god of the Ctarl Ctarl for guidance, the wails of the bioandroid growing louder as she seemed unable to hold them any longer. 

"It's going to be ok Aisha." the blue eyes spoke up to her, stopping her prayers abruptly. "I am sorry I didn't come to see your ceremony, it must have been really neat." he said almost absently as the Ctarl Ctarl let out a small sound unlike any they had every heard. Tears now rolling down her face as she realized that they had accepted their fate. In a sad way it seemed to seal it to her, making it inescapable, signing their death with their own recognition. They were both going to die, staring at her from behind the glass, there was nothing that she could do about it, no way that she could help them. 

The bright head of hair lifted reveling the shinning eyes underneath. "Gene, they are going to blow up Sentinel in five days." she almost whispered bringing her gaze to meet his. 

"What!" the boy choked tears now flooding his eyes "That's not fair! There are people down here that aren't sick yet!" he screamed his voice breaking to the sound of his cries, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Gene you have got to go back with Aisha and Mel, you aren't sick yet, look at you! You don't' look sick!" he pleaded 

"You really want to be here all by yourself Jim?" the outlaw spoke softly, dark eyes still glistening as the blonde stood silent. "And what if I was hhmm? What if I was sick, I would get them sick too, Aisha, Suzuka, they don't need to die like us!" his voice firm "You have to go." the dark eyes peered through the glass at the zombie like bioandroid, her glistening tear filled eyes of lust for her outlaw. Her mouth slightly open, her body silent and still staring in at him. She blinked slowly as if dreaming, a single tear trickling down her cheek as she leaned in towards the glass, the Ctarl Ctarl pulling her softly by the arm, as the outlaw swallowed hard, his breath on the window sending the vision of her lips that silently mouthed his name into a world of smoke. 

"We will wait, in space, for anything." Aisha whimpered, her tear filled eyes falling from Gene to Jim, "Until there really is no hope." with that she turned supporting the bioandroid as they made their way around the window. 

"No!" the small cry of the boy echoed through out the silent building as he slammed his hands to the glass where Aisha's were seconds before. His head lowered silent, as his partner stood next to him, vacantly staring off into the street, the sound of the dull thump of the glass echoing in his mind as the blond punched it, before turning and running upstairs, the slam of the door waking the sleeping red head. 

The dark eyes knew he was crying when he looked towards the bedroom door, lowering himself onto the couch. His own eyes stinging as he silently let his tears fall now. They were gone, gone forever, he had watched them walk away, walk out of his life that was to end in a few days, in pain, suffering just like his partner, the raven hair, the dark eyes, her smooth skin taunting his mind with memories. How beautiful she was, so beautiful, so sweet, all he had ever wanted was her, and now she was gone. His whole life running over him with his tears, his father, his mother he never knew, falling to Heigfong, living on the streets, meeting Alice, meeting his partner, leaning to survive independently, the nights of lust he had enjoyed, the food fights and videogames he shared with his partner, their jobs, the bounties they collects, the battles they won, the leyline, Melfina, Aisha, Suzuka, Jim, Alice, why, why did he have to leave now? "Not like this, "I didn't want to go like this" he cried to himself, thinking of his partner only eleven, missing out on so much of life. Neither of them would ever get married, or help bring children into the world, become a father, "have a son of my own" he sobbed now, his head cradled in his hands, he hadn't cried for so long, so much had built up it seemed as if it were all pouring out. 

The blue eyes watched the red head a foot away, expressionless, numbed, everything numbing him, draining him, he doesn't even know I am standing here he thought, his eyes flickering as he glanced at the window where Aisha and Melfina were minutes ago. He should have left me, he isn't sick, he doesn't look like me, he could have left with them, Melfina needs him. Visions of the bioandroid sobbing convolutions ran through his head as she became like a still weeping zombie infront of them, unable to understand why something so terrible could ever happen, why she could never see them again, when they had stayed with her after Hilda left. 

The pale veined hand reached to his partner, grabbing his shoulder gently as his body shook in surprise knocking the boy to the floor with his arm. The outlaw jumped up breathing hard, his red shaky eyes staring down at him. 

The blonde hair just looked at him from the floor, sitting where he fell, regaining his strength so he could pull himself up. A small stream of blood trickling down his face from his nose suddenly, another part of his body deciding it was time to give. 

The scared arm reached down and pulled the boy up, not waiting for him to reach back because his vision was off, he had watched him walk into three chairs blindly. He didn't try to talk to him because he didn't know how well he could actually hear him. He just slid the small body on to the couch next to him, placing his hand over his head and forcing it back, resting it on his strong chest, the deep heat burning into his hand from the fever as he inhaled deeply. If Hawking was going to be sick, then so was Starwind, he wasn't going to be the one to leave Jim behind, Jim had never left him before, he had given him everything subconsciously. He had given him an identity, a reason to live, to get up in the mourning, a someone who was concerned for him every time we drank too much, or came home from a fight. The fact that this stupid kid cared about him, made him have to care about himself, because he meant something to Jim. Even if he was a worthless outlaw, always working to make ends meat, he was something in those blue eyes, the only life they had had. The outlaw had lost his father, and all his family so had Jim, but where I was lost in self pity roaming the streets, Jim remained strong and gave him a reason to pull himself back up, now it was his turn to return the favor. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Again the banging of the front door as he slept on the living room couch awakened the sleeping outlaw. He began to rise and then stopped suddenly feeling the heat of his partner on top of him. Slowly he began to slid the pale limp body off onto the pillows, making a mental note to force aspirin down his throat as he made his was to the sounds of the door. 

His eyes were still tired as he unlocked the door, he didn't care who it was now, it didn't really matter after all. 

The dark eyes blinked as he stared at a tall man with deep blue eyes and light short brown hair. 

"Are you Gene Starwind?" he spoke 

"Yeah, that's me, I am Gene Starwind. Who might you be?" 

" I am what you might say an acquaintance to Fred Lou....." the man stopped as the outlaw grabbed him by the collar and yanked him in the door. "Excuse me." he said again straightening his collar irritated. 

"You? Fred sent you?" the outlaw seemed over taken by the news' 

"Yes" he answered, "My name is Henry Brown." 

"Well Mr. Brown what is it that makes you so special, how can you help us?" the outlaw said now more calm 

"I can try to create an antidote by hand for you and the boy." he said eyeing the outlaw "Even though, you appear in good health to me." 

"Yeah, well" the outlaw stopped suddenly 'How did you know about Jim?" he demanded squinting at the man. 

"Ah, Mr. Lou filled me in of course." 

"Of course." the outlaw repeated almost sarcastically showing the man to the kitchen where he began unpacking a number of medical equipments onto the counter the outlaw watching un-entertained. "Can you even make an antidote?" he said flatly 

The man stopped and turned to looked at him "I will try Mr. Starwind, no one HAS an antidote, it is all up to chance." He shook his head as he turned back to his bag. The red haired outlaw simply opened the refrigerator and reached for a bottle of pedialite, something he knew his partner would hate. 

"Hey Jim wake up." the outlaw whispered nudging the boy as his eyes rolled dazed before looking up at him. 

"What" he mumbled before glancing at the cup in his partners hands "Ahhhh, go away Gene!" the blond hair falling deeper into the pillow, but the strong arms grabbed his shirt pulling him up until he sat perfectly still on the couch waiting for his stomach to relax, the frowning blue eyes still half asleep. 

"Come on wake up!" the outlaw ordered as they started to snap back to life "Do we have to go through this again, just drink some!" 

"Ahhhh" the boy growled at him "It hurts my teeth Gene!" he whined softly trying to lay back down, but the strong arms of his partner now crouching on the floor in front of the couch prevented him from doing so. 

"Oh so now its your teeth, last time it was your mouth." the outlaw said sarcastically as the blue eyes snapped straight at him from their exhausted half shut reasoning. 

"It's the same thing." the boy spit through clenched teeth eyeing his partner 

"Ah huh, just drink it." he shoved the cup at the boy, but he didn't make a move to even take it, the blue eyes still fixed on the dark ones. "Ahhh" the outlaw moaned letting his head fall forward as he sighed before picking it back up. "Alright, is there any part of you that doesn't hurt? Cause it isn't my fault you keep throwing up the medicine Jim." he added so the boy couldn't argue that point either. 

The blue eyes seemed lost in thought as they closed slowly, the blond hair leaning forward before straitening back up. The soft agitated breath immerging from the small mouth that was open slightly as the eyes squinted back up at him "No." he spit before shutting them again. 

"Well if I can't at least throw this at you, and have it not hurt, you are going to drink it and have it hurt. You look like some spider came and sucked the guts right out of you." he smiled lightly 

The blonde grinned weakly wincing, his eyes half open again. "Idiot" he mumbled taking the glass from his partner with a hand, struggling to hold it steady as he started to sip some slowly, the liquid quickly spilling into his mouth and down his throat as his partner knocked it into him. The scarred hand reached out grabbing the cup as the boy shook softly gagging to the pain in his throat, the outlaw cringed on the inside knowing he was going to have to make him drink more, but on the outside his face sat expressionless watching him. His mouth opened quickly to demand that he drink more, but before he could say anything the boy brought the cup back to his lips and gulped down as much as he could in one take. Gagging excessively as though he were going to throw up. He acted cool now holding the cup, even though he was ready to move so he wouldn't be thrown up on again. 

"So you like it better my way ehh?" the outlaw smiled at his partner 

"Yeah" the boy mumbled falling into the pillows, eyes still shut; any movement seemed to exert him now. "Loser" the boy whispered as the outlaw smiled meekly walking back into the kitchen that had suddenly become some sort of lab. 

The outlaw sighed looking around deciding it was better to put the cup in the refrigerator rather then next to all the test tubes that sat by the sink. 

"Your very good with him." the man said blankly staring at the sleeping figure from the doorway. 

"His name is Jim." the outlaw said stepping next to the man 

"Well I would like to get a sample of his blood so I can begin." the man stated 

"Yeah sure..........wait hold on, you think it is good to take any of his blood? I have to give him an hour before I can even attempt to force stuff down his throat!" the outlaw said raising his arm to the living room. The man just looked at him, and it seemed that for a second he saw really emotion in his eyes, emotion for the suffering that was happening right there, all over Sentinel, but it disappeared quickly. 

"I need it Mr. Starwind, I can not do anything without a DNA sample, and if what you say is true, the every hour, then I should take his blood now while he will sleep right through it." 

The outlaw just looked at the man, he had been trying hard to form an opinion of him but he just couldn't seem to do it. "Fine" he grumbled his spirits dropping even lower as the blonde sat up suddenly leaning over the couch throwing up. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 day later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The scarred hand just played with the piece of toast he had before glancing down at his small partner. Or what seemed to his partner, it looks like he is already dead, he thought to himself. The purple color of the pale skin completely took all signs of life right out of the boy when he slept, the outlaw simply started walking over to him with his eyes shut listening for the breathing before opening them. Going about it the other way was just too much panic for the outlaw, even now he leaned closer to the boy to hear the sound of his breathing over the boiling substances in the kitchen and the clinking of the glass test tubs and flasks. He could feel heat rising up from the boy who seemed to burn one minute and freeze the next, he just couldn't keep any medication down yet. It had been an entire day and the outlaw was getting pissed; none of these stupid serums were working on his partner. Each time a failed result came from the exhortingly painful injection, as the blonde's condition didn't improve. 

"Hey Jim, come on lets go." the outlaw whispered leaning over to his small friend shaking him softly. He closed his eyes inhaling almost too exhausted for the upcoming battle, he hadn't slept in over 24 hours and he would have to think about Mr. Brown later, right now Jim had to eat, and his fever was again getting to high. "Come on Jim." he said more firmly this time, as the blue eyes seemed to surface from deep inside the body. 

"No I am not thirsty." the boy whined irritated 

"No, but I bet you hungry." the outlaw smiled at the frowning face that lie on the couch in front of him. The boy growled at the outlaw turning his head to face the back of the couch as the outlaw reached down and pulled him up to sitting position. "Come on, I am going to bug you until you eat part of this piece of toast, and you know I will." the outlaw smiled at the frowning dazed eyes that were growing more and more annoyed each time they were woken up only to throw up more items his stomach didn't want. He hated the outlaw as he watched him raise his eyebrows repeatedly wiggling the damn toast in front of him. 

"Gene Starwind." the boy said exhaling exhausted "I hate you." the blue eyes started to slip closed, opening again to the feeling of his partner's hands on his shoulders. The boy took the toast from his partner and took a bite, chewed and swallowed, after another long second, he took another bite and swollen, gagging this time, but he didn't throw up. He handed the toast back to the outlaw and laid back down. 

"See, see" the outlaw teased "I told you the pedialite would work." he grinned wider as his partner didn't throw up the toast for the first time, a rush of relief, of hope flooding over him at he looked at the fading blonde. "But you know what I really like about it?" the outlaw said leaning into the boy's face whispering, the blue eyes frowning at him again. "The little teddy bear on the front." the outlaw laughed as the boy moaned at him 

"Ahhh, Gene, you are such a lo...." he stopped as Mr. Brown walked into the room, his eyes searching him for a needle anywhere, last time the man had tricked him and hid it. 

"Hey it's alright Jim, we don't have a new serum yet." the outlaw said reassuringly as he gently pressed the rising boy back into the pillows. "What do you need?" he said looking up at Mr. Brown dully. The man just shook his head vacantly; he didn't have an answer "Come here." the outlaw ordered walking past him into the kitchen, the man fallowed 

"What the hell are you doing?" the outlaw barked under his breathe 

"I beg your pardon?" the man answered baffled 

"What the hell are you doing!? You're hurting him more then your helping him! Why isn't any of this helping?!" the outlaw demanded looking at all the equipment with disgust for it's failure 

"Mr. Star wind I am doing all I can you have to believe that." the man said looking into the dark eyes fiercely. The outlaw was silent, his eyes were filled with sorrow, he just didn't have it in him, he was too tired. "Besides I would like to get a new blood sample, I am hoping maybe that will help us progress." The outlaw simply sighed, nodding as he walked back to the living room, the blue eyes looking up at him as he neared the couch, concerned as they caught the light brown hair following him. 

"Relax I am just here for a little blood." but the blue eyes didn't believe him reaching for his partners shirt to help pull his slumped body away from the man's grasp. 

" Geennne please, don't let him give me any more...." 

"Relax Jim, he really only wants blood." the blond stopped shaking his head turning to face the man again. It was true the needle looked different, he thought his body sliding back into the couch his mind still trying to fight without it. 

The outlaw watched the small needle filling with the crimson as the blue eyes blinking slowly seeming to fall shut with the every fall of his chest. Although, it would make more sense if it was purple or blue, so much of the boy seemed to be that color to the outlaw. He watched, as the man seemed to focus only on his work instead of the blue veins he cut into, the very sight casting the doubt that what little he was pulling out would surly kill the bleached skin. "How do we even know he is suffering from the plague? I mean he has all the symptoms but, couldn't that be some kinda of odd coincidence?" the outlaw shrugged bitterly looking up into the deeper blue eyes of them man. 

He stood there with the needle for a second before capping in and placing it in his pocket, he motioned for with head for the outlaw, who got up and walked over to the side of the couch where the back of the boy now faced. 

"You said that you weren't going to......" the boy whined in defeat breathing deeply before being interrupted by the outlaw. 

"Hey Jim shut up! We are trying to help you, relax." the outlaw spoke as the man pulled the boys small shirt upward to his cringing, he didn't believe them. 

The outlaw felt his stomach turning over inside him, to the tight skin, the vertebra, the vision of the boy's small spine beginning to protrude from his back as if someone on the inside was shoving it out, the skin falling in on either side to the spreading blue veins, the small purple blotches of blood on the inside. He could hardly hear the man talk to him as he pointing to a part of it talking. His dreams, all the visions from his dreams flooded his mind. "How can this be." he whispered how could he have seen the same thing in his dream? 

"You didn't know?" the man broke into this thoughts "They released this on the news one of the first days, I believe these even had some pictures directing people to look at the spine of someone to find out if they are really contaminated." He spoke blankly 

The outlaw's head was spinning he couldn't believe it. My god, if only I watched the news more, if I had spent less time sleeping and more time working I would have seen this. There is not way I would have stuck around after seeing that anywhere! How could I let this happen, his mind screamed and he felt darkness closing in on him, his body faintly aware of the fact he was falling into a chair before he was out cold. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Mason Hawking stood staring at the outlaw that had just passed out before him into the chair next to the small couch and now sleeping blonde. 

He cast his deep blue eyes down to the boy as he wiped small golden strains soaked with perspiration out of his face gently. "I never meant to leave you, you know that." he whispered down. " I thought I had lost you forever, my son, but even now, seeing you like this, is better then never seeing you again. I want you to know that your father is very proud of you, and he will always, always love you." the dark blue eyes blinked back their tears quickly as the outlaw began to stir. Mr. Brown then got up and walked into the kitchen, fallowed shortly by the outlaw, now fully awake. 

"I must say Mr. Starwind, it is a miracle that you have not become ill yet." 

"Yeah" the outlaw mumbled rolling his eyes, how ironic "I have been with him for days before you got here too." the outlaw said opening the refrigerator. "So your a friend of Mr. Lou's" 

"Yes, that's right." 

"Well let me tell you, we might be his friends too, but we are a different kinda of friends" the outlaw said biting an apple "the straighter kind." he added chewing 

"As am I, sorry if I have mislead you." the man seemed to laugh at the outlaw's comment. The dark eyes on him seemed un-entertained as he watched the man glance back up at his sleeping partner, before turning to him putting his test tubes down momentarily feeling the outlaw's eyes on his back. "Is there something you need? Mr. Starwind?" he said tired with the outlaw. 

The red head just grinned, an odd sly grin shaking his head in response "but I see how you look at him buddy, and I just wanted to make our standing clear for you..you get me?" The man nearly dropped his test tubes this time as the outlaw's words stung him. 

"If I confide something to you Mr., Mr. Starwind, I have to…….to rely on you for the up most confidentiality." The blue eyes shook, staring straight into the outlaw. 

"Alright" the outlaw grinned bitterly "Just make sure this is something I want to hear." He mumbled taking a drink of water. 

"It is about my name, it isn't really Henry Brown." he paused watching the outlaw continue to drink "It's Mason......Hawking." 

A small trickle of water ran down the dark chin of the outlaw before dripping to the floor. The wide dark eyes motionless, their dull stare fixed on the man in front of him. 

"When I was younger, I was a brilliant hacker" he spit bitterly "I spent all my time on the computer, and when I got married I never gave that hobby up. My wife Elizabeth knew that was what I loved to do and she let me do it, so when I had my first son, I taught him what I knew to...' his smile was bitter, ironically cruel. 

"Your son?......" The outlaw slowly wiped some of the water away. 

"James Tylor." 

The curses were inaudible as the outlaw flung his eyes to the ceiling slamming his cup to the counter with the turning of his body. This is just great, bring it on, whatever else could possible make everything else worse, brink it on, he shook his head bitterly staring down at his white knuckles gripping the counter. 

"I hacked into the space forces computers one day learning of their new weapons." the outlaw turned to him wide eyed, listening 

"There was data of an accidental discovery made by a stupid man. It was a formula Mr. Starwind, a chemical formula. I knew this man, and knew that if something were to happen to the records on base he would never be able to design anything like it again, so I was determined to steal it from them." 

"Steal it, steal it from the space forces?!" the outlaw spit at him 

"Yes, this chemical formula is the plague here on Sentinel." The man waited for the outlaw to stop raving before he continued. 

"However I failed, my best college ratted me out for three million Wong," he frowned deeply remembering, "However I was able to steal the antidote." 

"The....so where is it!?" the outlaw yelled engrossed by the tale. 

"Well that is just the thing, there was no way I could get to a lab unnoticed, the space forces were hunting me down and had already destroying my personal one. I gave some to my wife and took some as well. The front door of my house was kicked in and she was shot three times in the chest, she spent the last moments of her life in my arms, begging me to leave her and save our son. I did, I tried to protect him, but when I realized they had us cornered I put a small vile into his pocket it was a different dosage then the vile my wife and I took, one that was suitable for younger children. I told him had about a week before he had to take it. The space forces shot me, he thought that I had died, and I had no idea what had happened to Jim until a year ago. I heard of this, Starwind and Hawking Enterprises and came to investigate for myself. I saw you too together and discovered that he had found a new life, he was so young when, when all this happened." The man was quiet for a moment the dark eyes starring at him in disbelief, the blue eyes filled with tears before they disappeared behind his blinking. "I figured he was safer if he didn't know I was still alive, if he didn't know who I was, so, so I walked out of his life. Coming back here is like signing my own death warrant Mr. Starwind. There is no way that I can escape this time. I am sorry to throw all this on you but as a dying man who has lost his family it doesn't seem too far away from logic." he smiled meekly "Just for the record Mr. Lou didn't send me, I don't' even know the man, I may have walked out on Jim but I always kept an eye on your business, when I new that you would be here in Sentinel, I came anyway, the man Mr. Lou sent was a chemist of the best recommendations, a very close college of mine, now he is above Sentinel unconscious. I couldn't let him come in, knowing he would die, no one is immuned to this disease Mr. Starwind, not unless they have the antidote. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The outlaw's dark eyes just watched the blond breathe feet from the kitchen where the father he would never know worked to save his life. He just stared at the boy now trying to think of what ironic absurdly would walk in to his life next. He had already lost his love, fallen to a plague that sat killing his partner, and yet met the boy's father and learned more about his past then the kid would ever now in his entire life in five minutes. The outlaw sighed smiling to himself, if death is as much fun as life, I think I am going to be sick, he chuckled. The blankets next to him stirred, as the small figure slowly began waking up from his fever, it had been thirty-six minutes since the outlaw had forced more pedialite and aspirin into the boy. 

The blue eyes opened slowly peering up at him blinking heavily. A horse hi, could be heard muffling from the pillows. 

And the outlaw suddenly felt himself fighting tears as the stories he had just heard can to life with the child's eyes, as he lay there, so venerable and weak. 

"How are you feeling?" the outlaw smiled warmly, with glistening eyes 

"Goo......no Gene I don't want to eat anything, or drink anything." he quickly added to the whine as he moved his legs under the blankets knocking a small pillow to the floor. The outlaw simply laughed as the eyes frowned up at him, lost in thought. 

"Hey Jim, can I ask you question?" the outlaw spoke slowly as the blue eyes just stared at him. "Do you remember years ago when we were living with Alice?" The blonde smiled up at him suddenly 

"Do you remember her cookies? Mmmmm." he moaned closing his eyes 

Hungry?" they immediately snapped open glaring at the outlaw who might make him eat, but instead just smiled. "Well you remember that fist night.........you, you first had her pie?" he quickly added as the eyes looked like they were drawing a blank, the blonde hair then ruffled as the boy nodded "You" the outlaw began to laugh slightly "You wouldn't remember having a little bottle, err vile do you?" the dark eyes glanced back at the boy smiling. 

"Emm hmm." the smile fell immediately the dark eyes widening. "What's wrong Gene!" the boy suddenly became alarmed looking around the room for Mr. Brown 

"Jim" the outlaw grabbed the boy the blue eyes blinking into his alarmed face "Do you know where that is?" the outlaw almost cried in desperation 

"Why?" his face was cringed, in pain from the movement and touch. 

"Where is?....just answer me Jim!" the outlaw shook him slightly. The blonde was silent for a second his eyes closing again before opening slowly. 

"I gave it to you." he finally said weakly, his strength slipping away. The dark eyes gapped at the child, his mouth wide open, blinking. 

"What! What do you mean you gave it to me?" the dark eyes watched the child as the blue eyes started to close with exhaustion. "Jim wake up, tell me, what do you mean you gave it to me!" he demanded, the boy regaining his focus on his older partner as he let him slide back onto the couch. 

"Someone gave it to me, I don't know who. They wanted me to have it, I didn't take it." he said in defense suddenly falling back asleep, only to re surface to the shaking "It was suppose to be good, you were nice to me so I wanted you to have it, but I, I didn't know what it was." the blue eyes looked away from him suddenly, down at the floor. "So I put it your mash potatoes.............you mad?" the blonde asked weakly only one eye slightly open looking at the outlaw before falling shut. 

The boy was unconscious again, too tired to wake up to any amount of shaking as he fell unable to feel the tears that fell onto him from his partner. The outlaw inhaled quickly, taking it in, all of it in. The sacrifices made so the boy could live, and the kindness that was allowing him to live now, while his younger partner lie dying in pain. 

Mr. Hawking spun around to an enraged looking outlaw. 

"The antidote, it's in me." Can you make a serum with that!?" the outlaw demanded 

"Its......its in..." 

"Yes, can you make a serum Blast it!" the outlaw slammed his fist to the table causing a chime of clinking glass as the man drew blood from his arm working swiftly to make whatever kind of serum would help. 

The small blonde felt himself resurfacing as light poured into his eyes, his body was being moved again to the sound of people talking. He felt the cold air as his shirt was pulled over his head, his body turning to lay back onto the couch. The immense could of the alcohol on his back as he pushed at the scarred hands. 

"Jim relax, this is the last time I promise, we definitely got it this time." the outlaw whispered to the blonde who lay on his stomach wincing in pain as he felt the force of the hands on top of him. He buried his head into the pillows as he heard the familiar warning not to move as the needle was plunged into his spine. The outlaw felt the muscles of the light body tense, as he lay silent, the pale skin coated with the purplish hew of death still breathing hard. The strong thin needle somehow sliding through the vertebra in-between his hands that held the rib cage as the liquid flowed into his body. 

The man stood up again releasing his hold on his son as he held the empty needle, he knew this would cure him, and he watched the blonde murmuring to the red head who was now talking to him, trying to coax his face from the pillows. So much is lost he thought to himself, so much is lost that I should have to leave him like this, my only son. But it was the love for the child that made him even more determined to go, it was apparent that he was in hands that cared for him, and he would never understand leaving them, since he doesn't remember me now, there is no reason for him to, he told himself feeling his heart sink, but he knew it was true, coming back to his life would mean telling him everything that happened, he knew his mother would have wanted him to be happy, and he was, with the outlaw. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

The dark eyes watched his partner intently as the light color of the boy's flesh seemed to battle that of the purple, coming back in some areas but not others, but it didn't seem to matter how tie dye he was, it was obvious he was getting better, guess I will have to make him eat more toast now he thought to himself smiling. 

His eyes glanced up to the sounds off the glass equipment begin packed away in the kitchen. As the outlaw rose quietly he held a deep respect for the man who had just saved the boys life, not just because it meant sacrificing his own and his past, but the fact that the man had never truly left this son, even though it would appear that way to Jim. In a small way the outlaw found hope in this believing that his father too was probably watching over him, he had never really left. Now as the man almost finished packing he was leaving the twenty year old outlaw the sole survivor who really new the past to his partner. 

"Packing so soon" he smiled as the man turned before nodding. "Why?" 

"There are many people dying right now Gene, in just as much pain as Jim, most likely more so. I plan on going back to the space forces." 

"The space forces!" the outlaw nearly died, how could he? They would kill him for sure! "How!" 

"I have a ship, its a blue cruiser......I know they will kill me." he said blankly "But when you get to where I was, with a wife and child, and then you loose them. You loose the pieces of yourself that you gave to them, for a worthless mind like mine, which tore apart my family, if there is one thing I can do. To make it up to them, to make it up to Jim, it would be this; the Space Forces will take the antidote. We don't have much time until they see there is no hope, which there isn't without this, and blow the planet up." Aisha's words flew over the outlaw as he stood speechless, the depth of the man's pride and love for his family was something the outlaw just couldn't understand, he had never had it, nor anyone to have it for, other than........ 

The outlaw walked back over and sat down on the couch, the man putting his coat on behind him, the dark eyes watched as he walked out the door leaving forever, before turning back to his partner with a soft sigh barely heard over the soft breathing. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

He was worried, but he would never admit it, he contemplated forcing Jim to eat an entire piece of toast as he opened the bathroom door, the steam from his shower now pouring into the hallway. The dark eyes peering down at the still sleeping figure that lie on the couch. For two days he thought, two days he just sleeps, unless I wake him, he never gets up! The outlaw frowned tossing some clothes into the bedroom before heading back downstairs and plopping down on the couch. Hitting the power button as the television screen came to life. 

"ternoon, at street corners everywhere victims of the Sentinel plague can receive an injection to fight their pain. Through the dreaded week as many were not fortunate enough to live to see this day, space force officials who had been working round the clock to develop an antibiotic to cure the horrible epidemic have finally succeeded. In other news a blue space cruiser was shot down two hours ago thought to be the prime suspect in helping to release the pla...." the screen went black as the outlaw stared blankly. Silently mourning the man who had given his life for the population of Sentinel. 

He jumped slightly as the phone rang the dark eyes moving over to the machine, which he decided could answer the phone since he didn't feel like getting up. A loud beep echoed through the apartment, as his eyes welled up with tears, the sound of the voice talking to him again, even though he was gone. 

Gene if you are receiving this message it means that I didn't survive. I hope you understand why I did what I have, its hard being consciously responsible for millions of lives. I hope you will plan on sticking with Jim; it is now only understandable to think of you as a son as well. I thank god for the blessing that my son had the luck to meet you Gene, a true outlaw. I going on now to be with my wife, I miss her so you know? I hope to see you both again, just not anytime soon." he heard the man chuckle to himself "Good luck my son." 

The outlaw sat motionless as his dark eyes stared at the wall in front of him, he slowly closed his eyes sighing deeply as a small tear rolled from his eye, the pain of the man's last phrase too much to express. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The dark eyes started to open slowly waking up from the pleasantness of sleep, before shooting open becoming alert to the world around him, the light, sound, worries, the pain. The red hair slid over his forehead gently as he turned to see the bioandroid sleeping next to him, her soft eyes swollen; now still crying softly in her sleep. 

I am dead, I died......we died anyway, that stupid serum never worked, he thought feeling his heart finally let go, tears now sliding down his face. I failed him he thought, the words of the man echoing through his head, the words of his partner who didn't have the strength to fight for himself anymore. His scarred hand reached out and brushed her cheek softly, she was so smooth, I must have gone to heaven he thought ironically pulling his hand back form her face as the girl stirred, her large chocolate eyes opening to him, tears welling up before falling under her raven hair. She held him for a second before she leaned in kissing his forehead softer then anything he had every felt, pushing her body into his, the warms of her smooth skin and silky lips seeping in. 

"Melfina" he whispered "Why are you?......" 

"You aren't dead Gene" she cooed at him smiling, as if reading his mind. "Aisha and I came to Sentinel six hours ago, you were both out cold. Gene everyone is going to be ok now, they're all getting better." she smiled. Getting better he thought over and over again, yeah, we are all getting better. The dark eyes danced around the room searching for his partner he soon spotted laying on the couch adjacent to him, the Ctarl Ctarl sitting over him, humming. The purple hue to his lips had now completely subsided as his face seemed to win the battle of a flesh color verses the white ghastly one. 

"The serum worked?" he mumbled, his eyes half open trying to get a good look at his partner 

"Yes" she cooed at him pushing him gently back into the pillows "No more worries Gene, no more worries." he felt her hand on his lips and he let her sooth him back to sleep, they were all going to be ok and after all, he was very tired. 

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